Report: Mark Stoops hired as head coach at Kentucky

Mark Stoops accepted an offer to be head coach at Kentucky, according to a report from CBS Sports. He replaces Joker Phillips who was fired on Nov. 4 after the team had a 1-9 start.

Stoops was the defensive coordinator at FSU and also served as defensive coordinator on his brother Mike Stoops’s staff for six years at Arizona. His older brother, Bob Stoops, is Oklahoma’s head coach.

ESPN’s Brett Murphy tweeted Mark’s reaction:

UK coach Mark Stoops: "I will be focused & driven to create a positive, winning atmosphere for the program all of Kentucky can be proud of"—
Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) November 27, 2012

Kentucky has not yet made the news official, but CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman spoke with a source close to the matter:

Source confirms FSU asst. Mark Stoops will be named next football coach at UK, as initially reported by KYSportsRadio.—
Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) November 27, 2012

Stoops oversaw vast improvements to FSU’s defense when he joined in 2010: The Seminoles were ranked 108th in total defense in 2009 and moved up successfully each year and were ranked second in 2012.