Offensive Coordinator

HOOVER, Ala. — Saturday’s BBVA Compass Bowl could be junior All-American Randall Cobb’s last game at Kentucky if he decides to put his name into the NFL draft. Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders was instrumental in recruiting Cobb, an Alcoa, Tenn., standout, and has watched him improve the last three seasons while making numerous game-changing plays for the Wildcats. Here is what Sanders had to say about Cobb after Thursday’s practice here for Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh: Question: With Cobb contemplating his NFL draft options, has it impacted his focus for the bowl game?

LEXINGTON - Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders admits it has been a "tough ride" for senior quarterback Morgan Newton this year. He was coming back from shoulder surgery, lost his starting job to Maxwell Smith, did not play well when he got to start at Florida and dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart behind true freshmen Jalen Whitlow and Patrick Towles. “Tremendous character. Tremendous integrity. It speaks volume about the type of family he comes from. It speaks volumes about how much he's bought into what coach (Joker)

LEXINGTON - New Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops is known for his background on defense, so a natural question at his introductory news conference was his thoughts on offensive philosophy. “We're going to have an offense that you are going to enjoy, I promise you that,” Stoops said.  “Where is (former Kentucky All-America quarterback) Tim Couch?  We're going to have an offense you're going to be proud of.  We'll get out there and rip it around a little bit, we are going to throw it.” Stoops made his first step in fulfilling that promise with Monday's announcement of Neal Brown, a former teammate of Couch who has guided one of the nation's most productive offenses at Texas Tech, as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UK. “Neil is a young, hungry, dynamic coach who has had a lot of success in the Big 12 (Conference)

Mark Stoops certainly seems to bring a lot of things to the Kentucky football program that the Wildcats desperately need. He's relatively young at age 45. He has recruiting connections in Florida, one of the nation's most productive states when it comes to producing Division I¿talent. He's a proven defensive mind as Florida State's defense has gone from 108th in the country in 2009 before he arrived to second in the nation in total defense at 249.4 yards per game going into Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Give Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart credit for doing what he said he would do - spending money to put together a quality football staff. Sure, not all of us believed he would do it, but he has to show the school's financial commitment to football in more ways than just giving new head coach Mark Stoops $2.2 mil­lion annually over five years - about $500,000 more per year than previous coach Joker Phillips made. But what is most impressive is that Barnhart and UK spared no expense for coordinators Neal Brown and D.J. Eliot.

This is such a perfect fit for Mark Stoops, Neal Brown and the University of Kentucky football program that it's almost hard to believe it has all come together. Brown, the former Boyle County standout, should be officially named Stoops' offensive coordinator at Kentucky sometime today after finally saying yes to the lucrative offer that could possibly make him the highest paid coordinator in the Southeastern Conference. As soon as former coach Joker Phillips was fired with two games still remaining, it seemed that Brown - a former UK walk-on receiver under Hal Mumme who finished his playing career at Massachusetts - could be the ideal offensive coordinator for the next coach.

Bringing former Texas Tech offensive coordinator Neal Brown to Kentucky to run the offense for new coach Mark Stoops certainly seems to have pleased UK¿fans, but the move has been just as popular with former players. “I can't think of anything that has gone over bigger,” said former UK¿quarterback Freddie Maggard of Lawrenceburg, who lettered at UK from 1989-91. Four other former lettermen - Jason Todd (1992) of Stanford, Derek Abney (2000-2003) of Charleston, S.C., Dave Hopewell (1976-78)

LEXINGTON - He grew up a Kentucky fan and always dreamed of playing, and then coaching, at the University of Kentucky. That's why new Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown said Monday he has a simple recruiting pitch for in-state players like James Quick and James Hatcher of Trinity, Ryan Timmons of Franklin County and others. “Come be a hero. You look at the guys that have played well at the University of Kentucky that are home-grown products, they come back here to live - and they have good lives,” Brown said.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders knows UK's offense has to be better than it was last season when the Wildcats struggled to a 5-7 finish and missed a bowl game. He says the emphasis in spring practice has been on finding playmakers to give the offense a boost. Here's what he had to say after Saturday's scrimmage. Question: What improvements have you seen out of sophomore quarterback Maxwell Smith this spring? Sanders: “He understands the offense a whole lot more.

LEXINGTON - If new Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown is right, it won't take long for quarterbacks to learn his system. “It's really a simple system. The first three days of spring practice we'll install the whole system. It's a system that the quarterbacks will be able to learn in a two to three week period while I'm gone recruiting. They can watch some videos and really have a good idea of what we want to do when I get back," Brown said during a news conference Tuesday.

LEXINGTON - He played sparingly in 12 games last year, but did average 4.5 yards per carry on his 41 rushing attempts. Still, those were mediocre numbers for Kentucky running back Dyshawn Mobley based on what he did at Powell (Tenn.) High School. He ran for 3,068 yards and 48 touchdowns as a senior - both state records - and led Powell to a 14-1 mark and a state finals berth. He finished his career with 5,849 yards rushing and 76 touchdowns while averaging over 10 yards per attempt.

LEXINGTON - On a day where the defense got to see the “angry Mark Stoops,” Kentucky's offense showed a continued sense of urgency in the second week of spring practice. Stoops, who has stressed tempo since his time began here in Lexington, was disappointed with the lack of effort put forth by the defense in its Monday morning practice. “They know what's going on now,” he said. “Now it gets back to habits. Now it gets back to, 'This is Day 5, Monday morning. I'm going to go back to my old ways and just get out here and BS around and mill around for a few periods and then we'll play a little bit.' “It's not good enough.

LEXINGTON - When he had a chance to come back to Kentucky, it was an easy move for former UK offensive lineman John Schlarman to join Mark Stoops' coaching staff and be reunited with offensive coordinator Neal Brown. Schlarman, a former All-Southeastern Conference offensive guard in 1997 and graduate assistant at UK, had been the offensive line coach for six years at Troy University - where he first worked with Brown. Troy ranked among the nation's top 26 in total offense in five of Schlarman's six seasons.

LEXINGTON - Running backs coach Chad Scott, a former Kentucky player, said it was easy for him to recruit for the Wildcats and expects to be part of the same productive offense he was at Texas Tech under offensive coordinator Neal Brown. “Our expectations don't change,” Scott said. “We want to move the ball and score points and think we are bringing in players that can help do that.” Scott offers his insights on some Kentucky signees as well as some returning players: Question: Have you just followed everything wide receiver Javess Blue has done for the last three or more years?

He's signed his first recruiting class and already hosted his first junior day for 2014 recruits, but new Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops admits things have “definitely been more demanding” than even he expected. “It's a little bit more challenging on your family and things like that, but it's been a lot of fun because I'm not trying to be anybody that I'm not,” said Stoops. “I'm going to be exactly who I am, try to be very consistent and try to do things right. We know we're not going to be perfect but I'm going to strive to do the best I can every day and that's fun. It's good to put together this staff.

FRANKFORT - Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown considers Ryan Timmons an “elite receiver” who can play multiple spots. Former UK quarterback Freddie Maggard, who lives in Lawrenceburg, says he cannot “remember a more talented, explosive athlete from Kentucky” than Timmons. Timmons rushed for 1,306 yards and 25 touchdowns in his senior season at Franklin County, averaging an amazing 15.7 yards per attempt. He caught 33 passes for 1,004 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging more than 30 yards per reception.

FRANKFORT - Once Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops explained his defensive philosophy to Franklin County receiver Ryan Timmons, he was sold on Kentucky. “The defense has to be good for me to get the ball, so I liked his defense,” said Timmons Tuesday after announcing he would sign with Kentucky. He picked the Cats over Florida, Ohio State and Illinois. Timmons had mind-boggling numbers in his three-year career at Franklin. He had 172 carries for 3,146 yards and 51 scores; 101 receptions for 2,679 yards and 51 scores; three kickoff returns for scores and one interception return for a touchdown.

FRANKFORT - Once new Kentucky coach Mark Stoops explained his defensive philosophy to Franklin County receiver Ryan Timmons, he was sold on Kentucky. “The defense has to be good for me to get the ball, so I liked his defense,” said Timmons Tuesday after announcing he would sign with Kentucky over Florida, Ohio State and Illinois. Timmons had mind-boggling numbers in his three-year career at Franklin. He had 172 carries for 3,146 yards and 51 scores; 101 receptions for 2,679 yards and 51 scores; three kickoff returns for scores and one interception return for a touchdown.

LEXINGTON - He only spent one year with Joe Flacco at Delaware, but Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown knew then that he was a special talent. Brown was coaching receivers at Delaware in 2005 when Flacco transferred from Pittsburgh - where he was the backup to Tyler Palko - to Delaware. However, Flacco was not awarded the one-time transfer exception, so he was not eligible to receive a scholarship and participate in Delaware's 2005 season. He threw for 2,783 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2006 and led the Blue Hens to the FCS title game.