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Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has been with the Wildcats for over a decade now. He is the brother of former Oklahoma coaching legend Bob Stoops. In Kentucky, Mark is joined by his older brother Mike Stoops, who serves as an inside linebackers coach on the team.
Mark Stoops and his ex-wife Chantel have two sons, namely Zack and Will Stoops. Given their family's deep-rooted connection to football, many may wonder if Mark's children are also pursuing college football careers.
Does Mark Stoops' sons play football?
At present, both of Mark's children are not involved in college-level football. However, their cousin, Drake Stoops, plays as the wide receiver for the Oklahoma Sooners. Drake. Drake is the son of Bob Stoops and has been a part of the Oklahoma roster since 2018.
Mark began his journey into the world of coaching as a graduate assistant at Iowa. He stayed there from 1998 to 1991. Then a year later, he was appointed as the athletic director and DB coach at Nordonia High School.
Mark's tenure at Nordonia High School lasted until 1995, after which he served a year as the DB coach of the South Florida Bulls. He then went on to have short stints in the same position with Wyoming (1997-99), and Miami (2001-03) before spending five years with the Arizona Wildcats (2004-09).
Following this, Mark became the DC of Florida State from 2010 to 2012. In December 2012, he was hired as the new HC of the Kentucky Wildcats, stepping in to replace Joker Phillips after the program dismissed him due to a disappointing 2-10 season.
Mark Stoops' journey with the Kentucky Wildcats
Mark Stoops' journey with the Kentucky Wildcats has seen its share of challenges. Initially, he faced a tough start, matching Philips' 2-10 record in 2013. However, the subsequent two seasons saw gradual improvement, with 5-7 records achieved.
In 2018, the Wildcats managed to secure its first 10-win season since 1977 and also win the Citrus Bowl against Penn State. This led to him being named as the SEC Coach of the Year for the season.
In 2021, the Wildcats recorded another 10-3 season under Mark Stoops. The team also won its second Citrus Bowl in four years and went on to record a winning streak of four consecutive Bowl victories.
So far this season, the Wildcats have won five out of the seven games played. The team will be looking forward to improving upon the 7-6 campaign of the previous season.
