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Mark Stoops discussed last year’s dalliance with Texas A&M.
Stoops emerged as a serious contender to replace Jimbo Fisher as the Aggies’ football head coach. Amid numerous reports, Stoops confirmed his commitment to Kentucky before Texas A&M hired Mike Elko.
During Thursday’s SEC Media Days session, Stoops acknowledged that Texas A&M made a play for him without providing further details.
“I was pursued pretty aggressively by them and we’ll just leave it at that out of respect for everybody involved,” Stoops said, per On3’s Andrew Graham. “There’s a lot of people over the years and a lot of interactions between people, but it was very brief. I was pursued, I had a job to do.”
Stoops confirmed in late November that another school contacted him, but he “knew in my heart I couldn’t leave the University of Kentucky right now.”
On Thursday, Stoops said he takes “great pride” in entering his 12th season with the Wildcats, who have made a bowl game in eight straight years. Kentucky is coming off consecutive 7-6 campaigns, bringing the head coach’s overall record to 73-65.
“I love this team,” Stoops said. “I love going to work. I love the challenge of this season, and it’s gonna be fun.”
While he’s proud of his team’s achievements, Stoops and his staff “want more” this season.
“We want to continue to push, and we’re excited about it,” Stoops added. “I feel like we have the pieces in place. We feel like we have the staff in place. And we’re motivated, we’re excited, and we’re ready to roll.”
Related: Report: Texas A&M Regents Nixed Mark Stoops’ Hiring At Last Second