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Tennessee football: Ranking head coaches on Vols’ 2022 schedule

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart (left) and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel (right) meet at midfield after the game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart (left) and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel (right) meet at midfield after the game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops speaks to officials during an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Tennvskentucky1106 1251
Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops speaks to officials during an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Tennvskentucky1106 1251 /

Kentucky Wildcats. 10th season. Mark Stoops. 4. player. 833. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis

59-53

Okay, so he hasn’t won any conference championships, and he’s barely above .500 for his career. However, you have to add value to coaches who dramatically overachieve with the programs they are at, and probably nobody in college football has done that more than Mark Stoops for the better part of the past decade.

When Stoops took over in 2013, he went 2-10. The next two years, he went 5-7 each time. Since then, though, he’s never failed to miss a bowl game. The only year he failed to have a winning season dating back to 2017 was 2020, when he went 5-6 playing all Power Five schools.

Last year, Stoops had his second 10-win season with Kentucky in four years. He also had his second top 20 finish, his second Citrus Bowl appearance and his fourth straight bowl win. Add in two wins over Tennessee football, and he’s done an incredible job with Kentucky.

Expectations are much higher this year, as he’s got a top 20 team in both polls and a top 25 team to most analysts. Winning the East or the SEC Championship is impossible at Kentucky, but Stoops has maxed out what’s possible there. Even if Tennessee football still owns Kentucky, Stoops has done an incredible job with the program.

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