Kentucky Wildcats Fire Mark Stoops Following 2025 Season

Mark Stoops helped turn things around for the Kentucky Wildcats since he joined the program, but he is no longer going to be leading the team, per On3’s Pete Nakos and Chris Low. He is the winningest coach all-time for the program and just wrapped up his 13th season with the Wildcats.

This news comes after he said he would not consider stepping down as coach. Stoops has an 82-80 record, including making eight consecutive bowl games since taking over the position in 2013. However, the program failed to make a bowl game since the 2023 season, and felt a new voice in the room was needed.

As a result of the firing, Stoops is owed a $38 million buyout, which is payable within 60 days if he is fired without cause. However, he did mention that he would be willing to negotiate an agreement to spread out the payment rather than a lump sum if he were to be let go.

Mark Stoops signed a contract extension in 2022 which ran through the 2030 season. With the direction of the team and the lack of success on the field recently, the two sides are no longer working together. With the amount of job openings, it will be intriguing to see if Stoops will have his name in the coaching cycle for another head coaching position or if he will either become an assistant coach or not be on the sidelines for the 2026 college football season.