It’s time for a coaching search, but first, a thank you to Mark Stoops

Before we move forward, before the next steps, before the rumors and the portal and the pressure of what comes next, there is something that deserves to be said clearly and respectfully.

Thank you, Mark Stoops.

When Mark Stoops arrived, Kentucky football was in the gutter. I was young, and I honestly did not know if Kentucky could ever be brought out of that place. But I supported them anyway. I supported them long before I ever covered this program, long before I ever held a media credential. It was just me and my cousin Kevin driving to Nashville to watch Kentucky get beaten by Western Kentucky. We were there from day one.

Those early years were not easy. Stoops had to fight to keep his job. Games were tight, field goals from Austin MacGinnis saved entire seasons, and progress sometimes felt painfully slow.

But then something shifted. Something real. Stoops took Kentucky to places I never thought this program could reach, and he helped create memories for my family that I never imagined we would get.

I will forever cherish being in the Swamp with my grandfather the night Kentucky ended the streak. That moment is burned into my heart. I will never forget driving with my other cousin and chasing to Knoxville in the COVID-19 season to watch Kentucky blow out Tennessee on their own field.

I remember standing in the pouring rain with my dad as Lynn Bowden ran wild all over Louisville. I was at both Citrus Bowls surrounded by family and friends, living out experiences I had waited my entire life for. I went to seven of the eight bowl games. I was in the stands screaming my guts out at the Belk Bowl when Lynn Bowden fired that pass to win it. I celebrated like we had won a title when CJ Conrad caught that touchdown as time expired against Missouri.

These were moments we will talk about for the rest of our lives. Stoops did not just win games. He gave families across Kentucky memories that will live forever.

Mitch Barnhart hired Mark Stoops when it was not a popular decision, but it was the right one. Eight straight bowl games. Two 10-win seasons. A national defensive player of the year who was once a 2-star recruit. A Big Blue Wall that became a national identity and was shaped by the legacy of the late Jon Schlarman. NFL players across the field. Stability that Kentucky football had never known.

Yes, the last few seasons fell short of the standard that Stoops himself set. Yes, NIL and roster management, and some internal friction shifted the direction of the program. Yes, there were plenty of things to fault him for, and yes, it was time for both sides to move on. But none of that erases what Mark Stoops accomplished here. He leaves as the all-time winningest coach in the history of Kentucky football. He built something great. Something real. Something lasting.

On a personal level, I want to say thank you for something else. Thank you for being kind to me when I joined the media. Thank you for speaking to us like humans. Thank you for always being respectful, always acknowledging us when you saw us in public, and always treating the job with professionalism. I grew up wanting to cover Kentucky sports, and the small platform I have today was built on the moments I got to cover during your tenure. Those bowl games. Those historic wins. Those unforgettable nights. They were part of the foundation of everything I get to do now.

I went from being a solo season ticket holder to having almost twenty family members join me every game day. Tailgates. Traditions. Celebrations that will live on long after this coaching change. That is part of the legacy, too.

So yes, it was time. Yes, the separation is best for both sides. But gratitude does not disappear just because a chapter closes. Kentucky football is in a better place because Mark Stoops walked into it. I hope one day something on that campus carries his name, because he earned that level of respect.

Now it is time to turn the page. Now it is time to prepare for whatever comes next. But before we do, I want to say it one more time.

Thank you, Mark Stoops.

And now, as we move toward a new era of Kentucky football, I have to ask the same question Stoops helped make possible.

Why not Kentucky?