Fansided

Top-10 coaches most likely to make the jump to the NFL

By Robert Judin

Oct 3, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin reacts from the sidelines against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin reacts from the sidelines against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 11, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops waves to fans after the game against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Louisiana-Monroe 48-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops waves to fans after the game against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Louisiana-Monroe 48-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Mark Stoops – Kentucky Wildcats

The job that Mark Stoops has done with the Kentucky Wildcats has quietly been one of the best in the country.

Stoops inherited an awful Wildcats team that went 2-10 in 2012 under Joker Phillips. In Stoops’ first season, the Wildcats again went 2-12, but since then the atmosphere has changed dramatically.

After a 5-7 season last year, Stoops’ Wildcats boast a winning record and are competing with the other teams in the SEC.

He’s made noise on the recruiting trail, and the prospects are finally listening. Kentucky has 22 commitments for the class of 2016 — including three four-star offensive linemen — and is ranked No. 15 in the class rankings by Rivals.

As a defensive-minded coach, Stoops can pitch his long list of stars he’s coached to recruits: Ed Reed, Vince Wilfork, Jonathon Vilma, Antrel Rolle and the late Sean Taylor. That’s just from his time with the Miami Hurricanes as their defensive coordinator, too. He’s sent plenty of other star players to the NFL.

And that might be one reason he’d take a shot at jumping to the NFL. With as much work as he can put into Kentucky, competing with Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the others can be a very, very daunting task.

At 48-years-old, Stoops could definitely make the switch in the next few years. Plus, it would make for a helluva talking point in the interview process if he can finish a season with the Wildcats ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1984.

While his brother, Bob, has seen a lot of success with the Oklahoma Sooners, he’s never coached in the NFL. And that could be a way for Stoops to make his own legacy as a head coach.

Next: Art Briles

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