What a ride it’s been and has continued to be for Big Blue Nation and their football team. Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops came in with little-to-no expectation of being great. Yet Stoops has surpassed any and all expectations over the last seven years.

Stoops has taken Kentucky to five bowl games and is on his way to a sixth later this year. He’s put together an exceptional recruiting staff and together they’ve found several “diamonds in the rough” to develop into stars. He’s on pace to win double-digit games for the second time in four years with a Kentucky program that had only eclipsed eight games once in the last century.

As we heard the rumblings of Stoops becoming a hot commodity after the Wildcats’ stellar 2018 season, we’re beginning to hear them even more now with Kentucky favored to win 11 games this season.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic notes in a piece regarding coaches on the hot seat that Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan & Nebraska as programs that could have a potential HC opening later on this winter. Feldman also notes that Stoops’ success at Kentucky could lead to him becoming a strong candidate to potentially take one of these head coaching roles.

However, sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Yes, that saying is used way too much but sometimes it makes perfect sense. At a larger program, the expectations to win immediately are unnerving and anyone who knows college football understands it takes more than a couple of years to recruit and develop quality players.

With another double-digit win this season and strong bowl performance, Stoops’ status in Lexington only skyrockets. So why look to move to a place that will only become that much more stressful? Perhaps the challenge would be intriguing to an accomplished HC.

What are your early predictions on where Stoops is next season?

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