Mark Stoops Joining Texas | Breaking Down the Implications

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1:03Fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to progressive and save hundreds. Because progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary, not available in all states or situations. Hey, what's up folks? Welcome back to On Texas football. And welcome back to another edition of football theory. I'm Lifetime Longhorn Wright-Babers. Please be joined by my good friend and esteemed colleague, Jeff Howe. Today we're going to get into the newest addition to the Texas coaching staff, the special assistant, the newest special assistant, Mark Stoops, former Kentucky head coach. And we'll get into kind of the recent history of those hires, specifically the head coaches who have been hired as special assistant.

2:03I think Sarc has a special place in his kind of a coaching, really in his coaching preferences from a year to year based on some of the knowledge that is brought in and really kind of the foundational football philosophy of some of these special assistants that he brought in. So we'll get into that. I want to talk first about, you know, Mark Stoops, because I think there are a couple of things that I think on the surface are just really beneficial for Texas here before we started digging deep into it and going down the rabbit hole, Jeff. Number one, the experience in the SEC, I mean at the time, he's the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC at the time of his dismissal. That is something that is invaluable for Sarc considering, you know, he's new to the SEC still learning the ecosystem, still learning the terrain. I always say you want to, when you hire a party special assistant, you either want a dinosaur or you're an alien, right?

3:06Dinosaur is ancient, knows the terrain, been around forever. I just got a lot of knowledge, wisdom to bring to the table. An alien may not have all that, but at least they have the 30,000th view and a different perspective than everybody, because they're new to this whole thing. So they just may see the world differently than everybody else. This is the dinosaur, though. This is a guy that has been around. He knows the deep trenches of the SEC, and I think that resource alone is going to help Sarc, especially on some of these road trips he's got to take this year. There's a couple of things there, Rod. I think number one, what you just laid out about the road trips, you know, it's, it might, and this isn't the reason why you hire a Mark Stoops, but he can tell you, hey, when you go to Knoxville, you know, you may want to have your police at Scores take this route to the stadium. So that way, you know, you're going trapped so you get their cleaner, it's less stress on you. Hey, when you go to Baton Rouge, you may think you want to stay in this hotel?

4:06No, you want to stay over here. You're crazy figure out where you are. Like you want to stay here. And I think look, a guy that under, look, nobody knows better than Mark Stoops. Very few coaches would know about Kirby's Mark's tendencies better than Mark Stoops. Nobody's probably studied Lane Kiffin's tendencies more than Mark Stoops, or Josh Hyples tendencies more than Mark Stoops that Sarc could have added to the staff. I know Will Munchamp's got some of that experience too, but it doesn't hurt to have somebody like that in your building. It's a, it's similar ride to when Sarc had Gary Patterson. Yes, you wanted to bring him in to help PK get well versed in running match quarters and kind of perfecting your coverage on the back end, which we'll get to that in a minute, because there's another layer of this Mark Stoops higher. But you also, hey, what do I need to know when I go head to head against a Mike Gundy? Or what do I need to know when I go head to head against a Matt Campbell or, you know, fill in the blank head coach in the week. Well, that maybe Sarc wouldn't have familiar with having only been in the league for a year, like learning as you call it all that big 12 ecosystem that Gary Patterson shoot.

5:09He was the big 12 ecosystem for a really long time. So I think this is really similar and it's probably not the reason you do it, but it doesn't hurt to have that kind of experience of Mark Stoops has. Yeah, I mean, exactly right. And it's hard to kind of pin down exactly what the reason is for Sarc. I'm sure he has like, you know, different reasons and it's probably multi factorial. But I think that we can, you know, as football theories kind of try to psychoanalyze Sarc here. And look at some of the strengths that, you know, Mark Stoops is going to bring to the table. One of them is, like you said, the extensive knowledge of the SEC that also helps you with. Officials and officiating. Yeah. Right. Cause a lot of times the same officials you see over and over again can learn their tendencies. By the way, that's an NFL thing that you actually try to pick up the tendencies. The patterns of officiating of different crews. Trust me. And they got numbers on it in the data age that we live in. And what I'm just talking about from his knowledge.

6:10He probably would know, I mean, first of all, you want to be a disciplined football team anyway. But there is a certain way that some officials call games. And you do have to, if you adapt your style or adapt your technique to that. I would just throw this out there and I know Kentucky they weren't good teams. Well, go look at their, their penalties. They only had 60 in 2025. First in the SEC in penalties. They were fifth in 2024. They were third in 2022 in the SEC and second in SEC in penalties in 2021. They, one, they weren't necessarily great, but he knew how not to get penalized by certain crews. And these teams were not heavily penalized teams. They were actually some of the least penalized teams in the SEC. You go look at this as a start tenure. He was eighth in 2023. But 2021 second, third in 2022, fifth in 2024. First is last year.

7:10He had the least penalized team in SEC. Your big issue with two years. You've been in SEC. You've been the most penalized team and the second most penalized team in SEC. And I think, and this isn't, yeah, and I think I just want to spell it out for everybody. What Rod is saying is it's not like, oh, you got to learn which officiating crews are crooked. No, that's not it at all. And I think the special teams that can show up in special teams rod with your penalties. But I think it's a lot of ways. Yeah, the two areas I think where it really, and this is something I don't think Texas has done really well. Obviously with the number of penalties. It's kind of adjusting your play to how the game is being called. The two areas where that shows up the most. I think it's holding on the offensive line. And I think it's defensive holding your defensive pass interference. Because there are some crews that are going to legislate it by the book. Which means, hey, if you're grabbing outside of a guy's chest plate on a run play, you're going to get called for holding. You got to keep your hands inside this week. You got to make sure your button up or hey, this officiating crew. Yeah, they might call DPI, but you know what?

8:12They'll let you grab a little bit. Just don't do it blatantly. Just have good technique. You know, make it look like you know what you're doing. Try not to be obvious. But yeah, they'll let you get away with it a little bit. That's those are the little nuances. Rather, I just don't think Texas has done a really good job of in the last couple of years of adjusting as they go on the fly. And one of my big complaints. And yes, it's nitpicking, but man. As much as they throw the ball to Ryan Wingo, he should generate a heck of a lot more defensive pass interference calls than he does. And I guess the stuff like you got to learn. Hey, this crew is going to throw it. Then you got to really sell it after the play. You got to act like you just got mugged. Walked late. You remember something like, yeah, like this guy just beat you with a crowbar in a parking lot or something like. Oh my gosh. Where's the like just looking out like where's the flag? And this goes back to, you know, I learned this a long time ago, right? Baseball guys. You should tell me this. Like, hey, you know, if it's a play like the catcher's throwing it down to second base on a stolen base opportunity. Sometimes when if you if you're the second base one of the shortstop catching it. If you just get up and flash the ball at the umpire and act like you're making a really good case.

9:13Whether he's out or safe. Sometimes that'll just compel the umpire. His adrenaline will take over and he'll call the guy out just because you made a really convincing case. Sometimes that's what you got to do. Like for to draw a defensive pass in her friends call for your wide receiver. But that's the kind of stuff that Mark Stoops can help start. No, hey, you've got this crew this week. You guys in the offensive line better be real buttoned up because they will call holding. He knows something. Like I'm serious. The warmers were in the game like you know, so your team they necessarily good teams. But they they are disciplined team. They do not get call for out of penalties. I can say he had the least amount of penalties called this year in the SEC. You had the most. Okay. That alone should at least pick your interest as a coach. And Sark has been at Texas. He's been really, really good as I pointed out. Okay. So that's one thing to throw out there. But I want to go back to kind of the beginning here for Sark. And look at these spec the former head coaches who become special assistants and just talk about their impact and the immediate impact. And it's been to me. I it's been I pop it like it's been mind blowing to me to look at their immediate impact and see how Sark has been influenced by them coming in.

10:18So let's say Gary passing you talked about them. They brought Gary passing in in 2022. It was clear that PK really didn't know the the ecosystem of the big 12 you will talk about all the time the hybrid sprint schemes. They really were a challenge for PK to figure out. They bring in Gary Patterson and Gary Patterson. Essentially he gives him the cliff notes. You can tell. And here's the best evidence of it in the last year for for Gary Patterson at TCU. They were running 50 close to 54% quarters coverage. All right. His last year there in TCU in Texas. They were only 33% quarters coverage. And it was mostly vision quarters. It wasn't even match quarters, which is what Gary Patterson was famously playing in that 2022 season after hiring Gary Patterson. Your quarters coverage. Both the most in the big 12 at 54%.

11:20He said 53 and a half percent in 2021 his last year at TCU. And then you famously jumped to 54%. That is not a coincidence ladies and gentlemen. That is straight up Gary Patterson influence. And then you so fast forward hit because Gary Patterson was great when Gary Patterson moved on. Then you bring in Paul Chris. And I famously loved the Paul Chris tire. You brought in Paul Chris who was known for for a few things. But at his time as Wisconsin, he would use a lot of extra online packages. A lot of hippo packages. Big jumbo packages. And he would throw out of them at times as well. He was known for this is kind of one of his unique kind of traits as an offensive play caller. Sarc had just started dabbing into the 6-0 line package in 2022. But it really wasn't that successful. You were at five yards per rush. Almost seven yards per attempt throwing. It just wasn't. I don't know if it was worth the resources you were putting into it at the time. And then he brings in Paul Chris. Your Russian numbers stay about the same.

12:20But your yards per attempt jumped to 11 yards per attempt. And you jumped almost seven yards per play total out of the 6-0 line package. Your, your, your explosive play rate increases out of it. And you actually use it to present power personnel. And then you would insulate it with max protections and just chunky deep out of your 6-0 line package. And it worked really well for you in 2023 that way. And remember that also in 2023 was when you get to Vangerie Swett, Byron Murphy, involved in some of your really creative, exotic jumbo packages. And they get receiving touchdowns. I think that was a direct byproduct of bringing in Paul Chris and him influencing Sarc's bigger heavier personnel. And then you go to the third. You go to Neil Brown. There's nothing like your first Mac. Here's what people online are sharing. At Doctor Rain says, Everything is just so smooth and fast I still can't get over it. Sinking stuff between my phone and this is just chef's kiss.

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14:21You can even mix things up with same game parlays for a shot at a bigger payout. Fan duel. It's time to dance. 21 plus in present and select seats. Bonus bets are nonwithdrawable and expire seven days after receive. Tokens are received in increments of one per day. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fandal.com. Gamling Problem Call 1-800-Gamler. Seriously? Why is it this hot already? That is a heat experiment. Your tax refund called. It said it's too hot in your car. Instead of wasting that refund on something forgettable, make it cooler. Literally. Premium window tint. Less heat. Less glare. Real comfort. Your tax refund event is happening now. Save up to $100 on qualifying packages. Turbo tint. Drive cool before summer makes it worse. And Neil Brown. And I'll give you credit because you don't want to keep pointing this out. You're like, oh man, watch Neil Brown's influence on the quarterback run game. Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it. Well, I thought it was pretty evident that they expanded the quarterback run game

15:24and used a lot of power gap schemes with it. Gary Draen who was the starting quarterback for West Virginia in 2024. Remember, 75% of his runs were gap power schemes. Arch this year, 76% of his runs, gap power schemes. I think it was like 77 actually, gap power schemes. He was running the same kind of gap power schemes. And this was the first year this past season where you actually ran more gap power schemes. Runs than zone runs first time and it was arch that flipped the script for you. Same thing with Neil Brown. Same thing with Neil Brown. Every year, Neil Brown was at West Virginia. They ran more zone runs than gap scheme runs, except his last year where they flipped the script and they ran more gap power scheme runs than zone runs, just like Texas did, his first year as a special assistant that is not a coincidence in my opinion. So what will be the more stooped impact as he form a head coach to become special assistant? Does the others have had a direct influence

16:24on Stark's play calling or on the play calling of the defensive coordinator on the other side? Yeah, I love how you lay that out, Rod. And you look at, basically, in a nutshell, Stark hired those guys because he needed something specific from them. And you got to think, when he brought Paul Kristen, what else changed going from 22 to 23? You didn't have Bijana Rojo anymore. So you're like, okay, I can't just lean on the fact that I've got two NFL running backs in the backfield to run the football. I got to change some things up and be more physical. We talked about it at the time, like there was a lot of, you know, because if you look at the coaching tree, Stark and Paul Kristen both come from the North Turner tree, which means they come from the Ernie's Ampese tree, which means they come from the Don Coriel tree. And I think if you look at those guys, the way they call offense, there's a lot of similarities and just kind of what they believe foundationally. But I think there's a couple things. And the two things I think Mark Stoop is going to bring, Rod, are the two things that Stark really needs. And I'll get into a third that I think is just going to kind of be a benefit of this. One is, when you look at Mark Stoop's teams at Kentucky,

17:27they didn't have a talent advantage over everybody else they played in the SEC. And they usually didn't have a quarterback advantage. So what do they have to do? You had to play really physical football. And Mark Stoop's best teams at Kentucky could have really run the football, whether it was Liam Bowden or Benny Snell, like whoever the running back was, even this last year, like with Seth McGowell, like they could really run the football. They provided themselves a, if they were going to do nothing else, we're at least going to try to run the football in short. And again, there's a lot of similarities between kind of what Mark Stoop's and Kentucky were in the SEC. If Texas fans want to look at it like this, like what Matt Campbell and I were state were in the big 12. You don't have a talent advantage, but you've just got to be really physical. And the other thing you've got to be, to your point earlier, you got to be really disciplined. And Stark is going to really good job. One area, Rod, were they really improved that I don't know if we give him enough credit. I do and people are probably sick of hearing me talk about it. The fumble problems in 24, if you've identified 10 fold in 2020, you only had two lost fumbles. That's right. And you were one of the best teams in the country protecting the football problem fixed.

18:29The penalties have got to get fixed and you want to get back to having a physical edge on offense. I think Mark Stoop's can help you do that. The third area, Rod, and I'll lead you into this. If you look at Mark Stoop's background, like what is, why was one of the main reasons we talked about why Sarg made the defensive court enter transfer off from PK to Wilmustian? He wanted one voice on defense because he wants the front end of the back end tied together. He's tired of the front not knowing what the coverage is doing in vice versa. And I think Wilmustian's going to help that. But Gideon's going to be really part of that. But what is Mark Stoop's background? You know that 2001 Miami secondary where Sean Taylor and Antro roll those guys with the backups because guys like Ed Reed and Mike Rump and Philip Buchanan were starting? Who was the secondary coach, Rod? Alaricoker staff in 2001 from 0103. Mark Stoop was a secondary coach. Mark Stoop was also Jim Bofischer's first defensive coordinator at Florida State when they were put out really good defenses. So, hey, it's not a bad resource to have if you need to clean up something from a coverage standpoint to go down the hall and ask Coach Stoop to pop into this defensive meeting real quick

19:29and let sort out some coverage stuff. So I'm just saying, I think it's for the physicality and the discipline, but the added bonuses, you've got a guy that's won't really because he's been a head coach for so long, you forget. I was one of the best defensive backs coaches in the country when he was an assistant coach. To me, that's my number one reason or at least the number one reason for start to bring him in. He's there a lot of reasons, you just gave it a lot of great reasons. We talked about some of the added value of bringing in one of the more tenured head coaches in the history of the SEC. But then the fact that secondary is all he knows and all he does, really, he's a head coach, but I'm talking about that's his original expertise is secondary in coverages. He replayed DB, that's his expertise and coached it. And that's how he really, he's claimed the fame, if you will, was coaching really good defensive backs. And Texas this past season, I would say it all the time. I think your secondary needs better communication. That's hard to say, continue to get have Michael Taft back there, but there are several times,

20:30we can, I mean, obviously there were busted coverages last season. There were times when guys looked like they were ill informed about where the help was going to be or they didn't know where the help was going to be. Well, that's an issue. So if I'm, if I'm sorry, I say, I tell Marxist, I listen, I need you to make sure that my second areas, their knowledge, number one of the coverages, they need to know where, they need to know what the weakness of the coverage is of every coverage. And you know the strength of the coverage, they need to know where their help is because your help will tell you where your leverage is. So I need to know your help is and then they need to know exactly how defenses are going to try to attack that coverage. Based on formation, I would like him to expand the knowledge base really of the second area because they need to know the front. And I don't think a lot of times they know where their help is in the coverage. And then you need to know the front. You do need to know the pressure. You need to know if it's a pressure of blitz, right? Because the blitz is going to take another guy from coverage and add them to the pressure. It's going to be fewer guys in coverage.

21:32Does everybody know how many guys are in coverage based on every coverage and every call? All right, I think there are some ways that the secondary can be more situationally aware. And I think part of that is being more immersed in the subtle nuances of the coverage. Now I just, hey, I got my responsibility is I got the deep third. It's like, no, no, no. It's not just the deep third. You need to understand the all-entire complexity of the coverage because that's going to help you be able to, if you're in quarters coverage and you want to snake the dig, you got to know exactly to add yourself as an added defender. You got to know where the weakness is in the coverage or the strengthen. Maybe you don't, you can then kind of lose yourself in the coverage as they say. Like today, Baron would do this. Got five interceptions in 2024. Three of those came as a secondary and a tertiary defender. It wasn't even the main defender. Why? Because he knew the entire grass and in the entire complexity

22:36of the coverage. So he knew that, I don't even need to be here. I can add myself to other areas of the coverage. I can go fox the post if I want to, which he did that beautiful interception early on this season. So that's what I think I need to see who these guys understand leverage. They know what they help is in the coverage. They know what the weakness and the strength is of the coverage. They know if it's a pressure or a blitz or a SIM pressure. And I'm not saying that they don't, but oftentimes when I see you misaligned or I see you playing the wrong leverage, then what am I supposed to think? When you're inside leverage, but you got inside helping, I'm thinking, well, why would you fall for the inside fake when you got inside help? So just things like that. So I would put him in charge of it if I was not here. At this point, you're doubling down like, look, our secondary play was so bad. Not only am I bringing a little must-camp in to help fix it. I'm bringing Mark Stoops in to help fix it too. And I think the good thing, really other than Jolani McDonald and Derek Williams, you don't have a ton of game experience at Texas

23:38in that secondary. I mean, you feel something's play. You feel something you didn't play much as a freshman. Played a little bit last year. No, Zealous Hicks. I don't, didn't play very many defensive snaps last year. Kate Phillips has the one year. It'll Kobe Black last year started to get some experience. Beaumasco is brand new to this system. So I think it's a really good time to maybe just start from scratch in terms of your coverages and what you want to prioritize, what you want to do. So to your point about building communication, yeah, you weren't that good at it last year. So just start from scratch. Just build something new and build something from the ground up and between Mark Orfe who's worked for Will Must-Champ. Like Gideon who's worked for Will Must-Champ himself and Stoops. Right, you can't get this secondary fix and I don't know what you got to do at this point. Yeah, no, I think they're in a good place because they brought back Blake Gideon. He was part of that successful secondary in 2024. And you ask Scott Hazleton, who is now, I think the DC at Wake Forest. Wake Forest, go look at their passing fish to defense. I guess like top 20 or like 21st or something like that

24:39in the country. It helped having basically a guy with extensive knowledge because he was just a defensive coordinator for so long but extensive knowledge of coverages, simply teaching your nickels and teaching your safeties. And it paid huge dividends because everybody in that back end seemed like they were gouged in and high minded at the time. Maybe Mark Stoops can play that role or be that guy for you. Yeah, the other thing else I'll say too. Georgia's not on the schedule. So the only way you'd meet Georgia would either be in Atlanta for the SEC championship or in the CFP. Even though the talent disparity was the size of the Grand Canyon like Mark Stoops Kentucky teams competed pretty well against Georgia, like at least held their own from a physicality standpoint. But the other thing too, Mark Stoops won five of his last eight games against Florida. So between bringing in Mark Stoops, Jabbarja Luke was on that Florida staff. Bill Gonzalez was the interim head coach. October 17th ride when the Gators come to Austin. I'm not a betting man, but if I was, I'm taking the over, I don't care what the spread is,

25:39I'm taking the long ones. You could tell Sarkis doubling down. He wants that game back that they lost in Gainesville last year. He won't probably come out and ever say it, but I don't need to really use when he's stuffing him down my throat. Yeah, exactly. And by the way, it ain't easy to find coaches. They got wins over Kirby smart anyway. Sarkis doing his damn this, but I think the coaching staff now you got one total win over Kirby smart. So hey, it ain't easy, that ain't easy. All right, thanks, Jeff. Good stuff is always appreciation. Thanks to Matthew behind the scenes. Do a great job and we appreciate each and every one of you out there for watching and listening for Jeff and for Matthew. I'm like, I'm going to ride various on to next. The title game is almost here. And Fanatics Merch is 30% off with pace. A fast online checkout offered by banks and credit unions. Snag all your team gear, jerseys, caps, suspenders, even hoodies that double as flags with pace. Your actual card numbers aren't shared with merchants so you can lock in your gear with that at security and let your hoodie flags fly with confidence. Use Pays with code Pays Perks for 30% off at Fanatics

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