I think Mark Stoops is exactly the kind of coach they need and they weren't smart enough to see it.
What's he's done at KY with less fan support, $$$ and platform is amazing IMO.
He could build a powerhouse at ATM with the style of play he's implemented at KY. It might be CNS 2008 2.0 type stuff but he could win a lot of game with that in the SEC right now.
Ky is not a high school football Mecca -- you have to recruit Ohio, WVA, and even Tennessee among others to get enough linemen. You have to take a chance on some players who are on the edge, academically or otherwise, in order to compete. To put out a quality team and win more than you lose in the SEC is quite an accomplishment.
He's not a "pretty boy" but if you put him at a school like A&M there's no telling what he could do. He puts out tough, hard-nose teams that will usually fight to the finish. I lived in Ky during the Fran Curci days and other than CPB I don't know that they've had a better head coach. Certainly not Bill Curry...