6 Potential Coaches to Succeed Mark Stoops at Kentucky

Kentucky has announced a coaching change, parting ways with head coach Mark Stoops following a 41-0 defeat to Louisville on Saturday. Stoops, the most victorious coach in Kentucky history, leaves with a record of 72-80 since his 2013 arrival and two 10-win seasons. Despite his historic success, recent performance has declined, with the Wildcats failing to win more than seven games per season since 2021 and managing only nine SEC victories over that span, while missing bowl games for two consecutive years.

With Stoops departure, Kentucky becomes the latest SEC program to change leadership amid the 2025 coaching carousel. Here are six candidates likely to be considered for the position:

1. Mike Chesney

Chesney has been linked to openings at UCLA and Penn State and could be a contender for Kentucky. A Pennsylvania native, he has achieved success at every level, including a 20-5 record at James Madison over the past two seasons. Currently, the Dukes are 11-1 and set to compete for the Sun Belt Championship.

2. Brian Hartline, Offensive Coordinator, Ohio State

Hartline is rising among assistant coaches and has drawn attention for head-coaching vacancies. After a playing career at Ohio State and in the NFL, he joined the Buckeyes staff in 2017. Hartline became a top receivers coach from 2018-2024 and was promoted to play-caller in 2025. Ohio State averages 37 points per game and 6.9 yards per play entering the Big Ten Championship. Hartline has no prior head-coaching experience but has ties to Kentucky through his brother, former quarterback Mike Hartline.

3. Will Hall

Hall has transformed Southern Miss, posting a 7-5 record in 2025 after the program went 4-20 over the previous two seasons. He previously went 32-20 at Marshall, winning a Sun Belt title in 2024, and has SEC experience as an assistant at Mississippi State (2018) and Alabama (2019-20).

4. Dan Mullen

Mullen could return to the SEC after head-coaching stints at Mississippi State (69-46) and Florida (34-15), before being dismissed in 2021. After three years off, he led UNLV to a 10-2 record this season, with the Rebels set to compete in the Mountain West Championship.

5. Jon Parker

Parker, a Kentucky alumnus (2000-04) and former graduate assistant in 2007, has coached at Purdue, Duke, Penn State, West Virginia, and Notre Dame. He became Troys head coach in 2024, leading the Trojans to a 12-12 record, including 8-4 and a Sun Belt title game appearance in 2025.

6. Will Stein, Offensive Coordinator, Oregon

Stein, a Kentucky native who played at Louisville, is emerging as a top candidate. Coaching at the collegiate level since 2020, he has been the play-caller at UTSA (2022) and Oregon (2023-present). The Ducks offense has been consistently among the nations best under his leadership. Stein has no FBS head-coaching experience.

Author: Sophia Brooks