Kentucky to fire head coach Mark Stoops after 13 seasons, reports say

After consecutive disappointing seasons, Kentucky is preparing to make a major change at the top of its football program. ESPNs Pete Thamel reported Sunday night that longtime head coach Mark Stoops will be relieved of his duties following 13 years in Lexington. The formal announcement is expected on Monday.

The Wildcats suffered a 41-0 defeat to Louisville on Saturday, following a 45-17 loss to Vanderbilt the previous week. Before the Vanderbilt game, Kentucky held a 5-5 record and needed one more victory to qualify for a bowl. After the loss to Louisville, Stoops stated in a press conference that there was zero chance he would resign voluntarily.

Stoops contract carries a substantial buyout of nearly $40 million, stemming from a 2022 extension after a 10-3 season in 2021. However, Kentucky has struggled to match that level of success in subsequent years. The Wildcats went 7-6 in both 2022 and 2023, then dropped to 4-8 in 2024, ending an eight-season bowl streak, the longest in school history.

After the 2023 season, Stoops was reportedly a top candidate for the Texas A&M head coaching job, and he later confirmed that the Aggies had pursued him before hiring Mike Elko. Texas A&M went 11-1 in 2025 and is set for the College Football Playoff.

Over his career at Kentucky, Stoops compiled an 82-80 record. He inherited a program that had endured three straight losing seasons under Joker Phillips and led the Wildcats back to postseason play in 2016. Under Stoops, Kentucky achieved two of its four 10-win seasons, including 10-3 campaigns in 2018 and 2021, both culminating in Citrus Bowl victories.

Prior to his firing, only a handful of active coaches had longer tenures, including Iowas Kirk Ferentz, Utahs Kyle Whittingham, Air Forces Troy Calhoun, and Clemsons Dabo Swinney. Kentucky has faced challenges since the SEC abandoned its East and West division format, making Stoops departure part of a broader conference shakeup. Kentucky is now the sixth SEC program in 2025 to seek a new head coach, joining Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Auburn, and Ole Miss.

Other recent SEC coaching moves include Arkansas hiring Memphis Ryan Silverfield, Auburn selecting South Floridas Alex Golesh, Florida bringing in Tulanes Jon Sumrall, and Ole Miss promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin left for LSU. Kentuckys timing places the program behind many conference rivals who have already secured their coaching futures.

Author: Sophia Brooks