Mark Stoops’ coaching job this season was one of the more impressive you’ll see given the number of key injuries the team suffered throughout 2019 but the Wildcats head coach will have to deal with losing one key assistant who is returning to the FCS ranks.
UK special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach Dean Hood was named on Friday as the next head coach of Murray State football, an FCS program at the other end of the state.
“Dean Hood is a man of character and integrity who possesses a tremendous work ethic and unique ability to advance our football program,” AD Kevin Saal said in a release. “I look forward to partnering with him to accomplish our shared vision for the program…to develop leaders of character, competence and consequence, for football and 40+ years of life beyond football. Murray State University is honored to welcome Dean, Crystal, Trey, Daven, Jada and Cordia to their new home in Murray; a community that I know welcomes the Hood Family with open arms, supporting hearts and a true passion for the future success of Racer Athletics.”
Hood is no stranger to the Racers on the field as he spent several years at another OVC school in Eastern Kentucky as head coach. He linked up with Stoops in 2017 and has produced plenty of impactful results between the lines, including punter Max Duffey just recently being named the Ray Guy Award winner as the nation’s best at the position.
Steve Clinkscale also handles defensive backs for Kentucky but Hood’s loss in the third phase of the game is pretty notable given how well most of his units have performed in recent years. It will be interesting to see what direction Stoops goes but he can at least be excited at one of his former assistants returning to the FCS level as head coach.
