Kentucky fires Mark Stoops after 13 seasons following the second straight losing campaign for the program's all-time leader, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reports. The contract requires Stoops to buy out the full $38 million within 60 days of termination, which could make it one of the most expensive layoffs in history. college football story.
That's a steep price to pay for a Kentucky athletic department that's betting on men's basketball and getting a late start on a coaching carousel that's been spinning for two months. But amid lopsided late-season losses to Vanderbilt And LouisvilleStoops fell out of favor, which he briefly regained in the first half of November.
Following a 41-0 road loss to the rival Cardinals late in the season, Stoops was blunt about whether he plans to return in 2026. He said there was “zero chance” of him leaving on his own accord.
“I’ll be here as far as I know,” he said. “Now I can’t control what decisions are made. But if you ask me, I said zero. Zero means zero.”
After a 2-5 start, the Wildcats have won three straight, including wins over Auburn and Florida. Those wins combined with promising play from the redshirt freshman quarterback. Cutter Pain seemed to offer Stoops a path forward.
What followed were half-hearted efforts against the Commodores and Cardinals, which ended Britain's hopes of a bowl and exposed the program's shortcomings.
At 9-15 (3-13 SEC) over the past two seasons, Stoops is mired in his worst record since taking over for Joker Phillips after the 2012 season. His latest record of 82-80 (38-68 seconds) was marred by a slow start and a poor finish. Some of the program's best moments occurred between them.
It took UK four seasons to reach its first Cup under Stoops, but 2016 marked the first of eight straight postseason trips for the Wildcats. Stoops led the program's first 10-win season since 1977 in 2018 and did it again in 2021.
After back-to-back 7-6 performances in 2022-23, the bottom has fallen out in 2024, with the 4-8 team weighed down by an offense that ranked 114th nationally in yards per game. Even with Boly's mid-season emergence in 2025, the Wildcats were unable to put up a competitive record against TennesseeVanderbilt and Louisville are all important regional foes.
Colleagues of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ArkansasAuburn, Florida, LSU And Ole Miss have already made coaching hires this cycle. Most importantly, the Gators lured beloved former UK linebacker and defensive coordinator John Sumrall, long coveted by many Kentucky fans as a potential successor to Stoops, from Tulane. When UK hired Stoops, he was the defensive coordinator at Florida and has never been a head coach. He will leave as the longest-tenured coach in program history.
