Although Georgia still looks to be of the ilk of a serious College Football Playoff contender, a few key parts of the program are going to let this year's team down in the end. Whether it is a non-existent pass rush, a hit-or-miss pass defense, or the ebb and flow nature of the offensive scheme at hand, Kirby Smart has put too much trust and faith in his friend/mentee coordinators at the helm of Georgia.
Even though Mike Bobo, and to some degree Glenn Schumann, just had their best games of the year, they are only going to let Smart, Georgia and Dawg Nation down in the end. While nobody was paying attention to it, an ideal replacement candidate for Schumann was on the other sidelines in, you guessed it, another one of Smart's good friends in Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops. Will he leave?
Stoops addressed the notion of he wants a buyout from Kentucky after how things are going of late.
"I'd hate to give anything like that legs. There's zero chance I'm walking away. There's no quit in me, so that's unequivocally 100 percent false. Anyone who tells you that is lying."
Stoops nets $8.6 million a year at Kentucky, plus incentives, after inking an extension through 2031.
"I don't want to address that crap no more."
To be bought out, Kentucky would have to pay Stoops 75 percent of what is left on his big contract.
Mark Stoops is making too much money to come to Athens willingly
Stoops' inability to field anything close to a decent offense in Lexington is why he is on the hot seat. At minimum, Stoops would net at least $38.7 million in buyout money if he were to be told to pack his bags. This amount does not include incentives or any potential contract escalators, only 75 percent of what would be left on his deal after this season. Stoops is just 58 years old and still wants to coach.
While him taking on a new job would theoretically eat away at some of the buyout deficit with offsetting contracts, Stoops is not going to be making close to $9 million annually anywhere else, not even at his alma mater of Iowa should Kirk Ferentz eventually retire. Again, Stoops will have other options outside of Kentucky. It would be a matter of preference, and money, as to where he would go.
The biggest reasons to come to Georgia besides familiarity with the SEC and being very close to Smart is this being somewhat of an image rehabilitation project. Stoops is far more likely to lead a national championship-caliber defense at Georgia than Schumann probably ever will. It may not seem like much, but someone like Stoops or even another go-around with Will Muschamp may be an idea.
The potential landing spot at Georgia as defensive coordinator is possible for Stoops, but not likely...