Kentucky fires offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and QB coach Darin Hinshaw
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mark Stoops' vision for the future of Kentucky football's offense will include a new coordinator leading it.
On Sunday, Kentucky fired offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and co-offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw, the school confirmed in a news release.
"Eddie and I pondered about this for weeks and mutually agreed that this was the way to move forward," Stoops said in a release. "I appreciate Eddie for the true professional and friend that he is. I also want to recognize the success we had, going to a bowl game every year since his arrival, with a reflection of our shared vision to do what was necessary to win games."
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. 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.
Amway Coaches Poll: Alabama remains No. 1, while Texas A&M passes Florida at No. 5
Winners and losers: Ohio State, Texas A&M stay on playoff track after college football Week 14
After 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).
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.
During 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.
Misery Index: LSU's national championship starting to feel like a distant memory as embarrassing losses
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. While Bowden played quarterback in high school, he was not a credible passing threat.
Despite 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'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.
"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 the 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."
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.
Wilson threw for 390 yards in the first two games of the season, losses to Auburn and Ole Miss, but Kentucky quarterbacks threw for more than 120 yards just two more times in the final eight games.
In back-to-back blowout losses to top-five foes Alabama and Florida in November, Kentucky recorded just two first downs in 13 second-half drives.
"It’s losing football," Stoops said after the Nov. 28 loss to Florida. "It’s not good enough. It’s not going to win games if you can’t get first downs."
Kentucky finally found some semblance of the offensive balance it strived for in Saturday's 41-18 win over South Carolina with 291 rushing yards and 201 passing yards, but that performance came against a Gamecocks team with just 16 available defensive players and only one defender who started the season opener remaining.
Signaling a decision had already been made, Stoops declined to comment when asked about staff changes after the game out of respect to the coaches who had just helped Kentucky to the win.
Quarterback play was inconsistent throughout the coaches' UK tenure after a back injury derailed the career of former four-star recruit Drew Barker early in their first season. Junior college transfer Stephen Johnson, who was recruited to UK as Barker's backup, took over the offense but battled injuries throughout two years at Kentucky.
Wilson, who started his career at Oregon before transferring to a junior college, helped Kentucky to 10 wins in his first season as a starter in 2018 but missed most of the 2019 season with a knee injury and never made the strides as a passer Hinshaw and other UK coaches pushed for.
"I greatly appreciate Darin’s hard work and commitment to our program and contributions to the success we’ve had," Stoops said in the release.
Gran's most recent Kentucky contract lasted through the 2022 season. Hinshaw was signed through the 2021 season.
UK owes Gran the remaining $2.325 million on his contract and Hinshaw the remaining $750,000 on his deal. The size of those buyouts would decrease based on the salary either coach is paid at his next job.
There will be at least one more change to the Kentucky offensive staff following the death of beloved offensive line coach John Schlarman after a two-year battle with cancer. Kentucky hired former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski as interim offensive line coach in November.
Follow Jon Hale on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.