Chris KarenbauerMon, December 1, 2025 at 3:49 AM UTC·1 min readLEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Sunday that Kentucky is expected to fire Mark Stoops, “with the process set to formally play out Monday”, ending his 13-year career in Lexington.
Stoops, 58, completed his 13th season with a 5–7 record, following a 4–8 finish the year before. He leaves with a 72–80 overall record, leading UK with 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2021. He led the Wildcats to every bowl game from 2016 to 2023 and finished twice inside the AP Top 20.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite those achievements, Kentucky struggled over the past two seasons, leading the university to move on, even though Stoops is under contract through June 2031.
Stoops earned $9 million this year, and the school would owe him 75% of his remaining salary—roughly $37.7 million.
The Wildcats ended their season Saturday with a 41–0 loss to their biggest rival, Louisville. After the game, Stoops dismissed the possibility of stepping down.
“Like, I’m going to walk away?” Stoops said. “Are you kidding me? … Zero percent chance I walk.”
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