Kentucky reportedly fires head coach Mark Stoops originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Kentucky has fired head coach Mark Stoops after back-to-back losing seasons, sources told On3's Pete Nakos and Chris Low on Sunday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStoops completed his 13th season in Lexington on the heels of a 41-0 blowout loss to in-state rival Louisville. He leaves as the Wildcats’ all-time winningest coach and the architect of the program’s most stable era in modern history.
School officials informed Stoops of the decision, which prompted the sides immediately pivoted to buyout logistics. Stoops is owed a $38 million and it's payable within 60 days of termination if he is dismissed without cause.
The veteran coach said publicly last week he would not resign on his own, and had a "Zero-percent chance" of doing so.
Stoops elevated Kentucky from SEC bottom feeder to a consistent mid-tier threat. He delivered 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2021 and engineered signature wins over Florida and Louisville, helping shift expectations in the Commonwealth. Kentucky reached eight straight bowl games from 2016 through 2023, a school record streak that at one point stood as the SEC’s second-longest active run behind Georgia.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStoops exits with a career mark of 82-80 While the record hovered near .500, his deeper imprint was cultural. The Wildcats hope to preserve the foundation while modernizing a roster model now reshaping the league.
Kentucky football now faces its most consequential transition since Stoops arrived in 2013, tasked with reimagining success in a league that has sprinted forward while the Wildcats slipped back.
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