1/18/2022 football Edit

Mike Stoops officially hired as Cats' new ILB coach

Mike Stoops will join his brother on the UK staff. (UK Athletics)

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated

Managing Editor

Joined the Cats Illustrated staff in the summer of 2017. Veteran reporter and photographer who has covered UK sports dating back to 1987.

The long-anticipated addition of Mike Stoops to the Kentucky football coaching staff is now official.

The school formally announced Tuesday that the brother of UK head coach Mark Stoops will coach the Wildcats' inside linebackers in 2022. He fills the position vacated when Jon Sumrall was hired as the head coach at Troy.

Stoops, the middle brother between longtime Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and UK's Mark Stoops, has 35 years of collegiate coaching experience. He previously coached with Mark Stoops at Arizona from 2004-09 when he was the head coach and his younger brother was the defensive coordinator. They were also together at Iowa in 1991.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to coach with Mike again,” Mark Stoops said in a statement released by UK. “Mike was instrumental in my early development as a coach, as I learned a lot from him at Arizona. He has a wealth of experience as a head coach, coordinator, and position coach. I look forward to having him contribute to the staff at Kentucky.”

Mike Stoops most recently was at Florida Atlantic where he spent the 2021 season as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Prior to that, he spent two seasons at Alabama as an analyst on Nick Saban’s staff, highlighted by the 2020 national championship.

He also was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Oklahoma from 2012-18 and an assistant coach with the Sooners from 1999-2003, including the 2000 national championship season.

"I want to thank everyone at the University of Kentucky for this exciting opportunity to coach inside linebackers,” Mike Stoops said. “Mark, his staff, and these players have accomplished a great deal, while competing in the Southeastern Conference, to put the Kentucky football program on the map. I’m looking forward to working with Coach (Brad) White on defense and contributing to the development and success of our players and team. Go Cats!"

In his 35 years of coaching, Stoops has coached in 28 bowl games and coached more than 40 players who reached the NFL.

Stoops, 61, graduated from Iowa in 1987. He and his wife, Erin, have a daughter, Payton, and two sons, Colton and Ozzy.