Desire for more exciting offense spurs Stoops’ decision to fire Gran, Hinshaw
University of Kentucky assistant coaches Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw were “relieved of their duties,” according to separate releases shared by the athletics department on Sunday.
It was a decision a few weeks in the making, head coach Mark Stoops told reporters, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“I have a responsibility to our players, to our fans, to our administration to do what’s best for our program as we move forward, and sometimes change is necessary,” Stoops said. “I felt like this was certainly one of those times. It’s been deliberate. We’ve talked about it for a while, Eddie and I have.”
Gran and Hinshaw both were hired in 2016 from Cincinnati. Each had multiple years remaining on their contracts.
Stoops said he will immediately begin a search for a new offensive coordinator. There’s a chance that a new hire could be in place before the early signing period for 2021 recruits begins on Dec. 16, but that’s not a sure thing. Whoever is hired to replace Gran will have a say in their staffing, but that will be a collaborative effort.
“We’ll do that mutually,” Stoops said. “Of course I like to give some autonomy to the coordinators if they have somebody that’s essential to them, so I’ll hold off until I get the coordinator in place.”
Gran was hired as UK’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach, and finished with the title of assistant head coach.
“I want to thank President Eli Capilouto, Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart and, of course, Coach Stoops for the opportunity to be at Kentucky,” Gran said in a news release. “Coach Stoops has always treated me like family and our professional relationship is awesome. I appreciate the hard work and loyalty of the coaches who have coached with me. I appreciate the support of the Big Blue Nation for five awesome years. And, thanks to the players for believing in me in good and bad times, I love you all and wish you nothing but the best.”
Hinshaw was co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“I thank Dr. Capilouto and Mitch Barnhart for the opportunity to coach at UK,” Hinshaw said in another release. “Mark Stoops is an unbelievable head coach, friend, and someone I look up to. It was an honor to be on his staff and coach the quarterbacks the last five years. I want to thank Eddie Gran, being with him the last eight years and going to eight straight bowl games. Lastly, I want to thank all the players I’ve coached at UK, I love you all and will never forget the great victories and history we made at Kentucky.”
Between their firings and the death of offensive line coach John Schlarman during the season, UK as of Sunday has only two offensive coaches with active contracts: tight ends coach Vince Marrow, who has been on Mark Stoops’ staff since he was hired as head coach, and wide receivers coach Jovon Bouknight, who was hired earlier this year. (Former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzninski has been acting as an interim offensive line coach over the last month.)
In three seasons at Cincinnati, Gran and Hinshaw led an offense that ranked in the top 20 in total passing each year, and was No. 6 overall in total offense in 2015 prior to their migration south to Lexington. The production they managed in the passing game never materialized at UK, but the running game flourished: UK four times finished among the top half of the Southeastern Conference in total rushing, including a No. 1 finish in 2019 that was good for fourth nationally.
Both coaches were part of teams that played in four straight bowls and a fifth — the current edition — that will play in a bowl if an invitation is extended, Stoops confirmed Sunday. They were 36-26 in their time guiding UK’s offense.
“Eddie and I, our relationship goes back a long way and he has been part of some of the best years of the University of Kentucky’s history,” Stoops said. “We’ve won quite a few games together. I feel the same way about Darin Hinshaw. … I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done, and the work that that’ve put in. I care deeply about them personally and I thank them. You need to recognize the work that they’ve done.”
Need for change
Kentucky since the pair was hired never ranked higher than 61st nationally in total offense. That was in 2016, their first season with the program. That year the Wildcats ranked 20th in total rushing, 102nd in passing and 58th in scoring, also their highest mark in that category under Gran and Hinshaw.
UK’s national offensive rankings over the next four years appear to indicate why Sunday’s decision came to pass:
2017: 103rd total offense, 68th rushing, 97th passing, 87th scoring
2018: 102nd total offense, 35th rushing, 117th passing, 85th scoring
2019: 77th total offense, 4th rushing, 127th passing, 76th scoring
2020: 116th total offense, 44th rushing, 120th passing, 106th scoring
Stoops in recent weeks has discussed the need for the offense to evolve in order to keep fans and players invested. He hopes to find a coordinator that will bring balance to UK’s offense that has been lacking over the last several years, and says that person does not have to be someone with whom he has coached previously.
For the first time, Stoops admitted that last year’s pivot to Lynn Bowden at quarterback, resulting in a run-dominant attack, carried over and had a negative impact on this year’s offense.
“I’m the one that ultimately determines the culture of this program, and we’ve had a very strong, winning culture for a long time,” Stoops said, “and that’s how we were able to hold it together this year during super difficult times. But you also have an obligation to make sure we’re progressing and having an offense that’s exciting to watch. …
“I’m wide-open. I think it’s extremely difficult to go from one extreme to the other. We’ve seen that in this league and it’s difficult.”
Stoops, who came to Kentucky as a defensive coordinator, on Sunday disputed the notion held by some that he’s held back Kentucky’s offense.
“I am very, very limited in what I’m involved as far as what they play, how they plan, what they practice,” stoops said. “I do not have enough hours in the day. Maybe some head coaches do. … I wish I could just be left alone for two or three hours in a defensive meeting without getting pulled out of there every 15 minutes for something. There’s things you have to deal with as the head coach, but I am very, very limited as far as input.
“I don’t have the time to be involved, or the expertise. I know what a good offense needs to look like but I cannot spend my time in there and also be with the defense. I have my input. I give some recommendations. I know when things are not looking right, that’s for sure. When things are not looking right I’m gonna step in and try to be part of the solution. But I try to stay out of the way and not be part of the problem.”
Financials
As Kentucky’s offense revamps itself it will come at great expense. In addition to paying new coaches, UK is set to pay a combined $3.1 million to Gran and Hinshaw through the buying out of their contracts.
Gran most recently signed an extension less than a year ago on Dec. 16, 2019, which gave him an additional contract year, through June 2023, and a raise to $950,000 to be paid over that final year, or a monthly salary of $79,167. Through the remainder of the current contract year Gran is set to make $75,000 each month through June 2021. His monthly salary from July 2021 through June 2022 was to be $77,083.33, or a total of $925,000.
Based on a termination date of Dec. 31 of this year, Gran would have 30 months remaining on his contract over which UK would owe him $2.35 million unless he were to find other employment as a football coach following termination. In that event, UK reserves the right “to reduce continuing payment obligations to (Gran) to the extent that he earns other salary and additional compensation” from his new school.
Hinshaw has been UK’s quarterbacks coach since Gran was hired in 2016; both came from the University of Cincinnati. He agreed to a new two-year contract, effective July 1 of this year, that paid him $500,000 a year through June 30, 2022. Assuming a termination date of Dec. 31, UK would owe Hinshaw a total of $750,000. The same clauses related to UK’s right to reduce payments exist in Hinshaw’s contract.
Stoops told reporters Sunday that UK’s administration and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart are committed to his vision, and that financials won’t hinder his pursuit of potential hires.
“I feel like I will have the full support to do what’s necessary,” Stoops said. “We have to. We’re competing in this league and I don’t have to tell you all what’s it like. We have to have that support.”
