Mark Stoops is ranked 6th best Head coach in the SEC by CBS

Earlier this season, CBS Sports released a ranking of all the head coaches of the Power 5 football programs.

Kentucky’s Mark Stoops came in on the list of 65 at 22nd overall. He has proved over the last several seasons that he is one of the best coaches in the country, and now he is starting to get some more respect within his own conference.

CBS Sports, alongside some experts from 247 Sports, released their rankings for head coaches in the SEC. Fans are going to like the position of Stoops in this one as well, as he comes in 6th overall.

Stoops is coming into his ninth season in Lexington, and has showed steady improvement over the course of his tenure. Obviously his best season came in 2018, but since 2016 he is 20-22 in SEC play.

Here is what Brett Sallee and the rest of the group had to say about Stoops:

“Mark Stoops (22 overall): Kentucky has only contended for the SEC East title once during Stoops’ tenure in Lexington, but there’s no denying that his work since taking over in 2013 has been remarkable. The Wildcats have been to five straight bowl games, the last three of which have been wins, and posted a 10-win season and No. 11 finish in 2018. This isn’t at a traditional football power. It’s at Kentucky ... a “basketball school.” Stoops has done a lot to shed that label and make football a huge deal at Kentucky. Last year: 7 in the SEC”

With more momentum heading into the 2021 season it seems like Stoops is once again about to live up to the hype from some national media members.

The full list went as followed:

1. Nick Saban (Alabama)
2. Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M)
3. Kirby Smart (Georgia)
4. Dan Mullen (Florida)
5. Ed Orgeron (LSU)
6. Mark Stoops (Kentucky)
7. Bryan Harsin (Auburn)
8. Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)
9. Mike Leach (Mississippi State)
10. Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri)
11. Sam Pittman (Arkansas)
12. Josh Heupel (Tennessee)
13. Clark Lea (Vanderbilt)
14. Shane Beamer (South Carolina)