Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops announced on Monday that director of football operations Frank Buffano will be moving into a new role as safeties coach for the Wildcats.
Buffano, another Youngstown, Ohio, native on the UK staff, has spent the last seven years as director of football operations. He will occupy the position formerly held by Dean Hood, who accepted the head coach's position at Murray State.
“To say that Frank has paid his dues is an understatement," Stoops said in a statement released by UK. "We began in 2004 when he was an undergraduate student at Arizona. He became a graduate assistant coach, then coached at Youngstown State, and has been with us since we came to Kentucky, so he has spent 16 years getting to this point.
“Frank has a tremendous work ethic and obviously has extensive understanding of our system and the expectations of our coaching staff. I’m excited for our team and for Frank to have this opportunity.”
Buffano joined Stoops’ Kentucky staff in 2013 as the director of football operations but returning to coaching was always in his long-term plan.
“I want to thank Coach Stoops for this opportunity,” Buffano said. “My collegiate coaching career started at Arizona under him when he was the defensive coordinator and when he called me to come work at Kentucky seven years ago it was a no-brainer. Even though it meant I wouldn’t be on-the-field coaching, I knew I wanted to be a part of his program and his vision.
"Serving as the director of football operations at Kentucky these past seven years has taught me a lot and helped prepare me for this opportunity. The timing was just right and I can’t wait to get started.”
Prior to UK, Buffano served as an assistant coach for three seasons at Youngstown State under Eric Wolford, coaching linebackers in 2011-12 after serving as the secondary coach in 2010.
Buffano is a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School, along with Stoops and tight ends coach Vince Marrow. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geography and regional development from Arizona in 2006.
He and his wife, Kelley, have three daughters, Isabella, Gabriella, and Olivia.
