Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops watches over one a player being tended by medical staff during an NCAA college football game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Clubb)

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mark Stoops is no stranger to winning. In fact, nobody in the history of Kentucky football has done it more than the Youngstown native and Cardinal Mooney graduate.

Stoops, who will lead his Wildcats into battle against Youngstown State this Saturday, earned his 61st win at UK last week with a 26-16 victory at Florida, surpassing the previous program record set by the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant.

That record-setting victory has been the culmination of a decade with Kentucky that started with its share of trials. When Stoops, who now is 61-53 at Kentucky, inherited the Wildcats’ program in 2013, UK was fresh off of a 2-10 campaign and hadn’t had a winning season since 2009.

Rebuilding took time. Stoops’ first season at UK ended with the same 2-10 mark, and then Kentucky went 5-7 in each of the next two years.

Since then, however, the Wildcats have gone 49-29 and finished no worse than 5-6 — a record that came during the odd 2020 COVID season. Kentucky twice has eclipsed the 10-win mark, including last season’s 10-3 campaign which culminated in a Citrus Bowl win over Stoops’ alma mater, Iowa.

Reaching that point first required Stoops to change the perception of Kentucky football.

“The first thing was just getting rid of the negative stigma,” Stoops told the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator Wednesday. “When I took over this program, the history wasn’t so great. The previous years were not great, and there was such a negative perception of that not only within Lexington or within the state, but also nationally and also within the same organization.

“The players did not have the confidence that they needed, and there’s only one way to get that confidence and that’s to prepare. So we had to learn that Youngstown work ethic here for four years until they started grasping what it took to be successful.”

For Stoops, it’s a mindset he learned back home. He, like his brothers Bob, Mike and Ron Jr., played under longtime Mooney coach Don Bucci, a household name in Ohio football. All four brothers have extensive Division I coaching experience as well.

“What we learned at Mooney has helped us and will help you for the rest of your life — not only in football, but in life,” Stoops said. “It was just absolutely an amazing experience. From all the faculty and all the kids that went there, and the lifelong friendships I have there, it’s just a really special place, and I think that’s one thing.

“And then I think Youngstown in general is one of those places that teaches you that you have to go earn it and you have to go work for what you get — nothing is given. You have to go earn it, and there’s a competition that you learn in that city that’s stuck with me the rest of my life, just that tough, fighting attitude and the work ethic that’s expected out of you.”

It’s a mindset and background shared by plenty of his assistants, too. Perhaps more than any other Division I program outside of YSU, Kentucky’s coaching staff and roster have been littered with Mahoning Valley natives over the years.

On staff today are fellow Mooney graduates Vince Marrow (associate head coach, tight ends, NFL liaison and recruiting coordinator), Mike Stoops (Mark’s older brother, who coaches inside linebackers), Frank Buffano (safeties) and graduate assistant Courtney Love.

Of the bond that group shares and how it’s benefitted Kentucky, Mark Stoops said, “It’s been wonderful. … You know what you’re getting — that’s one thing about it. In this profession and as a head coach here for 10 years, there’s a lot of coaches that come and go and a lot of players that come and go, and that’s fine, and I appreciate and respect every single one of them. But with the Youngstown guys, I know exactly what I’m getting. I think that familiarity and the loyalty that we have with each other goes a long way.”

The same is true for the Youngstown-area players Stoops has brought to Lexington, he added. Among them are Harding great Lynn Bowden Jr., presently a New England Patriots receiver; Love, who spent two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to UK; Jordan Jones, a Mooney graduate who played linebacker at UK from 2015-2018; and present-day players Sean O’Horo (running back, Boardman) and Luke Fulton (inside linebacker, Cardinal Mooney).

It’s also a fairly regular occurrence for Kentucky to be in the mix for players emerging from Youngstown-area high schools to this day.

“Not only are they great football players, but they’re great people that I’ll be close to the rest of my life, because we all feel that same amount of loyalty to each other. It’s just ingrained in the people of Youngstown. … I know the type of players they are. They’re the type of guys that are going to lay it on the line no matter what,” Stoops said.

That loyalty also is showing this week as UK prepares to welcome the Penguins to Lexington. Stoops estimated in his press conference Monday that “hundreds” of people from Youngstown have reached out to him and his coaching staff about tickets and are planning to make the trek to the Bluegrass State.

It’s a bit of a rarity for an FCS vs. FBS game to have this sort of pomp and circumstance, and while Stoops is complementary of YSU and its history, he remains focused on the task at hand: getting win No. 62.

“I’m looking forward to hosting Youngstown State,” he said. “I know it’ll be a great challenge. I know the history and pride that they have within their organization, and we don’t take that lightly. We know it’ll be a real challenge, and we’re looking forward to hosting them and so many people from Youngstown here this weekend.”

Kickoff at Kroger Field is set for noon.