Gran, Hinshaw lay out their vision

For the first time in months, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops had something to be chipper about during a Monday afternoon press conference.

After another late season collapse -- the Wildcats lost six of their last seven games -- Stoops has dealt with overwhelming negativity, quarterback transfers and even questions about his job security.

But Stoops, surprisingly, has found a way to stop the bleeding and bring optimism once again to a program that has longed for success since its inception. The hiring of offensive coaches Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw has given new life to the program and rejuvenated Stoops.

Stoops parted ways after one season with Shannon Dawson, who oversaw a regression in nearly every offensive category during his time in Lexington. The offense under Dawson lacked identity and creativity and it never seemed that Stoops and Dawson were on the same page.

“I was disappointed in the outcome and I just felt like again, you know I don’t like to talk negatively about people or whatever, but I just wasn’t comfortable with the overall direction and leadership on that side,” Stoops said.

Now Stoops -- who is entering his fourth year at Kentucky -- can be comfortable with who he has running the offense. Gran, 50, comes to Kentucky having a prior relationship with Stoops at Florida State and several years of experience in the SEC under his belt. The years of success at Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee and Cincinnati led to Gran receiving the title of “head coach of the offense,” which Stoops explained is basically the role of associate head coach.

“I know exactly what I’m getting with Eddie Gran,” Stoops said. “That was the big thing: We had a history. We go back. We worked together at Florida State – you heard me talk about it earlier – when he was the associate head coach and special teams coordinator, constantly in front of the whole team, and I saw his leadership.”

Stoops said he had Gran on his radar since the first day he became coach at Kentucky but the timing was never right. After being turned down by Gran last year, Stoops said he wasn’t going to be told no by Gran again this year.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here and to be able to say ‘Go Big Blue,’” Gran said. “It’s a dream come true. To be able to work with Mark and that excitement, I know how he brings it and that’s how we’re going to be also.”

Gran and Hinshaw ran an offense that averaged 538 yards per game, ranked seventh nationally in total offense and scored nearly 34 points per game. The two cited the talent on Kentucky’s roster as a big reason in making the transition from Cincinnati to Lexington. The Bearcats struggled to recruit against Kentucky in Ohio, but it did give them some familiarity with the current roster.

“We felt them in Cincinnati,” Gran said about Kentucky on the recruiting trail. “We couldn’t get a sniff of a guy if he was visiting Kentucky at Cincinnati. It is about timing and it’s who you have here.”

While neither Gran nor Hinshaw wanted to comment too much on the current personnel on Kentucky’s roster -- they stated that every player has a new resume to start with -- both were aware of starting quarterback Drew Barker.

“Darin went and he evaluated him and came back and said, 'Oh, God. This kid's really phenomenal,' and everything that we were looking for,” Gran said. “We just didn't get that relationship part with him because they had him sewed up and he was a Wildcat.”

He loves Kentucky, which is a good thing,” Hinshaw said. “He's from Kentucky and it made a lot of sense, but working him out and seeing him, I was really excited about this kid. I know he had all the accolades and all that kind of stuff and the rankings and all that, but he deserved it. He was a kid I was really impressed with and impressed with his motion. Again, looking forward to working with him.”

The pair bring in a system that is described as a “multiple, pro-style offense,” that was developed from the NFL and then continued to progress with Hinshaw learning from Jim Chaney at Tennessee and then Gran adding variations from things that were successful while he was at Auburn and Florida State.

“That’s what’s great about this system, you’re able to do so many things exceptionally well in the pass game and in the run game,” Gran said. “As we gather that information we’ll be able to find out exactly what we’re able to do. In terms of the run game you want to be 50-50.

“We want to be balanced. We want to be physical. We want to run the darn ball. We really do. We want to get after people and that’ll be something from the first day. We’re going to be talking about physical and toughness and effort, disciple, pride, all those things that you have up on the board. They sound cliche but that’s what we’re going to be. We have to be in this league.”

There’s little doubt that Gran and Hinshaw are equipped to run a successful offense at Kentucky, but the most important factor in the hire was the fact that Stoops was able to persuade both Gran and Hinshaw to come on the staff, even with the latter being rumored as a candidate to replace Gran as the offensive coordinator at Cincinnati.

“Bringing in Darin, who worked so closely with Eddie in coaching the quarterbacks, I thought that was an important piece,” Stoops said. “As we were trying to put this thing together, I thought it was extremely important to get both of those guys. We were able to do that. They’ve had great numbers, but more importantly I know the leadership qualities they have. I know what type of people they are. They are unbelievable recruiters. I think it’s very important that they had SEC experience.”

As Mark Stoops sat in a corner chair in the media room inside Commonwealth Stadium listening to the two men who could determine the fate of his legacy in Lexington, he seemed comfortable and optimistic. He interjected phrases such as “nobody out of this state is getting in here,” when referring to recruiting and kept a grin on his face the whole time.

Stoops has recruited more talent than any other coach in the program’s miserable history. He’s brought more excitement and has been swift in correcting any changes that he feels necessary during his time in Lexington. He’s been able to keep continuity on a staff that has seen many of its members have opportunities to progress their careers elsewhere.

While back-to-back late season collapses have left many fans weary of whether or not Stoops will be able to get the job done, the Gran and Hinshaw hirings gave those in the fan base another reason to take a cue from Stoops—sit back and remain cautiously optimistic.