Entering the 2024 college football season, Mark Stoops has several things going for him. One of them is that he’s now the dean of SEC coaches.
When legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban retired in January, Stoops became the longest active coach in the SEC at 12 years strong. That’s a testament to Stoops’ own longevity, something the Kentucky coach acknowledged at SEC Media Days in Dallas.
Midway through his turn at the podium on Thursday, Stoops paused and said that he wanted to take a moment to acknowledge Saban’s impact on the SEC and college football as a whole.
“I really enjoyed being around Coach (Saban) and listening to him in meetings,” Stoops said. “A lot of people ask me what he’s like or think that he’s overbearing or demanding. Don’t get me wrong, Coach is passionate at times, but it was never about self-interest to me.
“He always was worried about college football. He was always worried about the betterment of college football and making young people better. I truly believe that.”
Saban is now an analyst for ESPN and will be part of the network’s College GameDay crew this fall. Some have expressed that they’d like to see the 72-year-old Saban help lead the way for change in college sports.
Stoops’ glowing words on Saban seem to indicate that he might be one of them.
“Listening to him and the arguments and debates we’ve had for 12 years, and the knowledge that he brought and still brings, people need to listen, too,” Stoops said of Saban. “Because he’s a one-of-a-kind at what he’s done. Congratulations to him for retiring and for still being around (the sport).”
Stoops and Saban met four times as head coaches. Ironically, Stoops faced Saban in his first season at Kentucky in 2013 — and again in Saban’s final year as Alabama coach last November.
Kentucky and Alabama aren’t scheduled to play again until at least 2026.