Mark Stoops surpasses coaching legend’s wins mark
Sep 11, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops looks on during the second quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Stoops has helped turn things around at Kentucky in recent years, and he is now in some truly elite company.
Kentucky’s huge win over No. 12 Florida on Saturday was Stoops’ 61st with Kentucky. That makes him the winningest coach in Wildcats football history. He has officially surpassed some guy named Bear Bryant.
This will be Mark Stoops 61st win at Kentucky, which passes Bear Bryant as the school's all time winner. His first three seasons he went 0-8. 2-6, and 2-6 in the SEC. AD Mitch Barnhart stuck with him. Now Kentucky can go to its seventh straight bowl.
— Tony Barnhart (@MrCFB) September 11, 2022
Bryant, of course, is one of the greatest coaches in college football history. He is most known for the 25 seasons he spent as the head coach at Alabama, during which the Crimson Tide won six national championships. Prior to that, Bryant coached for four seasons at Texas A&M and eight seasons at Kentucky. Kentucky won an SEC title under Bryant in 1950, which is a feat Stoops has yet to accomplish.
Stoops inherited a terrible team at Kentucky and has turned them into a legitimate contender. The Wildcats went 10-3 last season and have won four consecutive bowl games. While Stoops probably will not be compared to Bryant many more times in his career, he certainly deserves credit for the turnaround he has led at Kentucky.
