Let's start with something Nick Saban said a few weeks back.
"It used to be good defense beat good offense," said the Alabama head coach, himself a former defensive coordinator. "Good defense doesn't beat good offense anymore. ... It used to be if you had a good defense, other people aren't going to score. You were always going to be in the game. I'm telling you, it ain't that way anymore."
You think Mark Stoops wanted to fire Eddie Gran? You think he wanted to fire his friend from their days together on Jimbo Fisher's staff at Florida State, the man he tried to hire not once but twice, and finally succeeded the second time, hiring Gran and Hinshaw away from Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati?
Head coaches are paid (big) money to make difficult decisions. When asked Sunday if this was one of the most difficult decisions he has had to make at UK, Stoops did not hesitate.
"Without question, yes," he said.
It's easy to see why. Despite the criticism that comes with the play-caller job description, Gran did an excellent if underappreciated job at Kentucky, helping the Wildcats to bowl games the past four years. After quarterback Drew Barker was injured early in the 2016 season, Gran revamped the offense with Stephen Johnson and UK had its first bowl berth in six seasons. When quarterback Terry Wilson was lost for the season to injury in the second game, and backup Sawyer Smith was hurt a couple of games later, Gran moved wide receiver Lynn Bowden to quarterback and Kentucky won eight games in 2019.
"One of the great things about Eddie and Darin is they could adapt to the talent we had and win games," Stoops said Sunday.
He also knew how to play the complementary football that, until this season fit Stoops' recipe for success. A physical offense matched with a strong defense.
On the flip side, here are Kentucky's national total offense rankings during Gran's five years: 61st in 2016; 103rd in 2017; 104th in 2018; 76th in 2019 and 117th this season.
And while the Cats were always strong in the running game under Gran, they could never develop the passing game needed for a balanced attack. In six of its 10 games this season, UK failed to gain 300 total yards. In today's college football that just won't fly.
Look around. Barry Odom, former defensive coordinator, was fired as head coach at Missouri and replaced by Appalachian State coach and former offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz. Will Muschamp, former defensive coordinator, was fired as head coach at South Carolina and replaced with Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer, who has an offensive background.
When Sam Pittman was hired as head coach at Arkansas, the former offensive line coach went out and hired Kendal Briles, son of former Baylor head coach Art Briles, to be his play-caller. After firing former defensive coordinator Derek Mason as head coach, Vandy is on record as saying it is looking for an offensive-minded coach. You have to be able to move the football.
Personally, I hate to see Gran go. From a media standpoint, he was a professional, good to deal with, honest with his answers, careful to give credit to his players and take the blame when things went south. "It starts with me," he said many times. "I've got to coach better."
"I love Coach Gran," senior running back A.J. Rose said Saturday night.
But to get where this program wants to go, Stoops decided a different direction is in order. Friendship aside. "I'm responsible for this program and these players," Stoops said Sunday.
Given that Stoops had a prior relationship with Gran, it's easy to think that direction will follow a similar path. Maybe not. For instance, asked about possibly looking to the NFL ranks, as he did when he hired now defensive coordinator Brad White, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, Stoops said, "It's certainly an option."
That, after taking the option Stoops didn't want to consider, but knew he had to take — parting ways with a friend.
