Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Murray State Racers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops has a lot to prove during the 2025 season

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 11:09 AM ET

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football team did not have a promising season in 2024, finishing with a 4-8 overall record, only winning one SEC game, and not making a bowl game.

Since Kentucky's 10-3 season in 2021, the Wildcats have gone 7-6 twice and, of course, the disappointing 4-8 season from a year ago.

Kentucky football fans are starting to become frustrated with Coach Stoops as his program has regressed after the solid success it had in the late 2010's.

Last season, Kentucky picked up a massive win, taking down the #6 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, but after this, things went south for the Wildcats. The win over the Rebels ended up being the only SEC win Stoops's team was able to pick up.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The tough news for Coach Stoops and his team this season is the schedule is shaping up to be brutal. The Wildcats will host Ole Miss, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, all of which will likely be ranked. The Wildcats will play road games against South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and rival Louisville.

Realistically, all nine of these teams could be ranked this season, making this one of the toughest schedules Coach Stoops will have played during his time in Lexington.

If Coach Stoops is able to overachieve, he could perhaps regain the confidence of the fan base, but with this gauntlet of a schedule, it won't be easy to do. This is going to be one of the biggest seasons Kentucky football has seen in years when it comes to the future of the program.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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