With Bowden gone to the NFL and quarterback Terry Wilson returning from a torn patellar tendon, Kentucky's offense was supposed to transition to a more balanced approach in 2020. Previously: Mark Stoops promises evaluation of Kentucky football offense coming after regular season Eddie and Darin are true professionals and understand that.' Sometimes, that’s when the change needs to be made.

That trickles into your team and there gets to be doubt. When that happens, then you have issues with the confidence, with the culture, with the fan base. 'With the unfortunate circumstances of a year ago, I do think it hindered us and it carried over,' Stoops said Sunday. 'It just didn’t work. Gran's offense averaged 350 rushing yards per game with Bowden at quarterback, and Bowden won the 2019 Paul Hornung Award as college football's most versatile player. While Bowden played quarterback in high school, he was not a credible passing threat.ĭespite averaging just 52 passing yards per game, Kentucky won six of eight games with Bowden at quarterback, including a 45-13 blowout of rival Louisville in which the Wildcats threw for just four yards. Gran was forced to reinvent the offense again midway through the 2019 season when Kentucky's top three quarterbacks were sidelined with injury, forcing wide receiver Lynn Bowden to move behind center. Gran and Hinshaw, who coached Kentucky's quarterbacks, came to UK after leading a Cincinnati offense that ranked sixth nationally in passing yards per game in 2015, but a combination of quarterback injuries and the emergence of star running back Benny Snell saw their offense quickly transition to a run-heavy attack during their first season in Lexington.ĭuring their tenure, Kentucky posted two of the top three rushing seasons in program history, but the Wildcats ranked no better than 97th nationally in passing yards per game in any of his five seasons at the helm of the offense. Watch Video: Kentucky football: Mark Stoops wants offense to be more excitingĪfter Saturday's game, Kentucky's offense ranks 105th of 127 teams in the country in points per game (21.7), 117th in yards per game (311.8) and 121st passing yards per game (124.4). Kentucky football offensive coordinator hot board: Candidates to replace Eddie Gran Under his leadership, the UK offense established a stellar power rushing attack, but its lack of a consistent passing game proved too much to overcome in a 10-game Southeastern Conference schedule this season. Gran, who also coached the UK running backs, led Kentucky's offense during the program's run of four consecutive bowl games from 2016 to 2019. I felt like this is certainly one of those times.'

'It was a difficult time, but I also have to recognize that 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.

'They’ve done a tremendous job for us, they care deeply about this program, they care deeply about their players,' Stoops said in a Zoom news conference after the announcement. On Sunday, Kentucky fired offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and co-offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw, the school confirmed in a news release. LEXINGTON - Mark Stoops' vision for the future of Kentucky football's offense will include a new coordinator leading it. Watch Video: Kentucky football: What's next for the Cats after the 2020 season?

Eddie gran bio