The Citrus Bowl matchup was personal for Mark Stoops. The Kentucky head coach has deep ties with the University of Iowa football program.
Stoops and brothers Bob and Mike all played football at Iowa under legendary head coach Hayden Fry. When Mark Stoops’ dad passed away while he was in college, Fry attended the funeral, and Stoops’ Iowa jersey was placed in his casket. Growing up, the youngest Stoops spent many fall Saturdays in Iowa City.
The matchup with Kirk Ferentz’s ballclub was sure to be a memorable one. However, sometimes it’s easy for football coaches to get lost in the shuffle of their day-to-day tasks.