Kentucky Football: Former Teammate on the Stoops Brothers -"They're feisty."

WKYT has a story today about the whole Stoops family as seen from the viewpoint of a former teammate and friend at Iowa, where Mark played his football. Chuck Hartlieb, former Iowa Hawkeys quarterback when Mark Stoops was in school there, said this:

"If we played basketball, cards, on the football field, everybody wanted to win - and nobody wanted to win worse than the Stoopses," he said.

"It’s a different definition of intensity. You’ve got to understand that it’s really what’s in their heart. They’re feisty. It’s not that they’re trying to go overboard. They’re just trying to win every single game. They expect the best out of themselves and they expect the best out of everybody around them."

...

"I was around a lot of great coaches during those five years," Hartlieb said. "The Stoopses were the most intense on the field and wanted to win in the worst way, and that will play a large role" in Mark’s tenure at UK.

There is really nothing I'd rather hear about our new football coach than something like this. After three years of a relative lack of sideline intensity from the more reserved Rich Brooks and then Joker Phillips, it will be great to see a guy who gets after it with passion.

I can only wish that Stoops has a similar sideline demeanor to Florida Gators head coach and former Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp. Yes, he's been over the top a time or two, but I'd rather have my coach be more passionate and animated than less. I think that excitement carries over to the players, and I feel like that's exactly what Kentucky needs. Kind of like what Calipari is doing this year in basketball -- sometimes, you have to work really hard and be more intense than others, and from what I'm hearing, that is the default mode for Stoops.

On a related topic, here is the video that Neal Brown allegedly wants his recruits to watch:

Makes me want to suit up for the Red Raiders Wildcats!