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Time as Alabama analyst helped Mike Stoops adapt

On Signing Day in December, Kentucky had just lost co-defensive coordinator Jon Sumrall to Troy, and head coach Mark Stoops was on the hunt for a No. 2 in the defensive room to support defensive coordinator Brad White. Stoops was not hiding from what the program needed in that next hire.

“You’ve got recruiting, you obviously have coaching,” said Stoops. “But for me, it’s also big picture, guys. This game is hard and complicated, and you really have to stay up. You need multiple coordinators on each side of the ball, so you need guys with great experience and big-picture ideas so that position will definitely — that will be one thing if you’re asking one thing specifically I want to make sure I have a coordinator type of big-picture guy that can help us, that can help Brad and help our defensive staff continue to grow and get new ideas and stay up with the times because this game evolves constantly.