BIRMINGHAM — Change has been the theme in Mark Stoops’ tenure at Kentucky. This year will be no different than the previous three seasons.
In four years, Stoops has had three offensive bosses — four if you count current co-offensive coordinators Eddie Gran and Darrin Hinshaw — and the Kentucky coach knows change is inevitable in the modern era of college football.
“Someone once said the only constant in life is change,” Stoops said during SEC Media Days Wednesday. “We’ve dealt with some change in the coaching staff. I feel very, very confident in who we have and what we have in place right now with our staff.
Amid the constant changes in coach and player personnel, Stoops believes he has the right mix of players and coaches in place for the Wildcats to take the next step and reach a bowl game for the first time since the 2009 season.
“We’re doing the things necessary to take the next step,” Stoops said. “I’m not a pessimist but I’m not going to sit up here and boast a team if we’re not quite ready. We’ve done the work. We have the pieces in place. We will take the next step. I’ve been proud of the progression we’ve done. Certainly, you want more wins along the line, but I know we’ve done the right things and we have a great plan in place to continue to push this program, and the players are doing the things necessary to take it to the next step. So we’re excited about that and ready to move forward.”
In each of the past two seasons, Kentucky has won of five of its first football games, only to see hopes of ending reaching a bowl game slip and slide away with six straight losses to end the past two seasons. It’s a storyline Stoops doesn’t want to be repeated in the future.
“We’ve been close, we’re tired of being close,” Stoops said.
In addition to the coaching staff, the players, including senior Jon Toth also are tired of getting close to a breakthrough and the senior center anticipates the Wildcats to turn the proverbial corner this season.
“(The close games have) been a huge motivating factor for us because we’ve been so close,” Toth said. “Every game is a struggle and every game is going to come down to a couple of plays and we’ve put ourselves in position to where we are there and we are competing and that’s our goal, to get those one or two plays this season that will change the outlook of our season.”
Although optimistic, Toth knows reaching bowl eligibility won’t be an easy task, considering the Wildcats’ schedule features road games at Florida, Alabama, Missouri and Tennessee.
“The SEC schedule is tough every year, no matter if it’s in-conference or non-conference,” Toth said. “You have to approach every week like you’re playing the top team in the country. Southern Miss is our first game and they won nine games last season. We’re not worried about Alabama in Week Six right now, we’re worried about Southern Miss and working on things that will help prepare us for the long road ahead.”
Along with changing the culture within the program, upgrades are taking place in and around Commonwealth Stadium. Off the field, Kentucky’s home turf has been revamped and the team’s new outdoor practice facility adjacent to the stadium is set to open in time for fall workouts. Despite the improvements, Toth knows it takes more than looks to compete in the SEC.
“The level of enthusiasm is just as great as when (coach Stoops) got here, especially with the new (practice) facility and everything,” Toth said. “It’s definitely going to help us, but just relying on the fact that we have a new facility isn’t going to get us to that next win, it’s going to be what we do as players on and off the field.”
Stoops and the players are eager to take the next step but both parties know winning close games will make the difference.
“We have to finish,” senior running back JoJo Kemp said. “That’s all it is. Our motto this year is just to finish, finish, finish.”
Count Kemp as one player ready to share the load and do what it takes to turn the corner.
“I am a more vocal leader,” Kemp said. “(I’m) taking it upon myself to take the younger guys to the other side, telling them the expectations we have here at Kentucky and just doing the little things the coaches ask me to do for the younger guys — being both a leader by example and a vocal leader.”
Kemp is taking ownership and Stoops likes the approach Kemp is taking going into fall workouts.
“The maturity that he could help our team with is immeasurable,” the Kentucky coach said.
That’s part of the culture change Stoops has been longing for since he arrived on campus and he hopes it results in more victories on the field.
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter