Vince Marrow Listed as One of College Football's Most Valuable Assistants

The Big Dog is continuously viewed as a vital part of Kentucky's program

When you think about Kentucky football, no name is more synonymous with the program—perhaps even more than Mark Stoops—than Vince Marrow. 

The Big Dog has been Stoops' right hand man as Kentucky has developed into a top-notch SEC program after being a Power Five bottom feeder less than a decade ago. As a result, the tight ends coach and associate head coach is garnering some respect. 

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg listed Marrow as one of the most valuable assistants in college football. Here's what the senior writer had to say about why the longtime assistant is so valuable to Kentucky's program: 

"Marrow has been Stoops' right-hand man as they've built Kentucky into a consistent winner in the SEC. They capitalized on their connections to Ohio and the school's proximity to a state that still produces a good number of Power 5 prospects. Marrow is the lead recruiter for most of Kentucky's prospects from Ohio, and the program has hit big on players, such as Lynn Bowden Jr. and Benny Snell Jr., and current starters, such as defensive Tyrell Ajian and Carrington Valentine, and tight ends Brenden Bates and Keaton Upshaw. "You got Ohio sitting right there," Marrow told me this summer. "It's the fourth-producing state for NFL players, it's the third- or fourth-producing state for D-I football players. How do you not go there? You've got to have connections, but there's a lot of players there, and we have strong connections." Kentucky has rewarded Marrow with several significant raises, and this year he's earning $1.1 million, a once-unthinkable salary for a non-coordinator." 

It feels safe to say that as long as Stoops stays in Lexington, Marrow will also be along for the ride. 

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