Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Coach Who Will be Fired with Another Poor Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Every offseason, several college football coaches feel the pressure from their universities and fan bases. This offseason is no different, with one coach particularly on the hot seat: Mark Stoops, head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Stoops has had an impressive 12-season tenure at Kentucky, with a record of 77-73, making him the all-time leader in wins for the program. He has led the Wildcats to 10 or more victories twice, which is notable given that the program has achieved this feat only four times in total, and no other coach has done so more than once.

However, after a strong 10-3 record in 2021, the Wildcats' performance has declined. They finished the next two seasons with records of 7-6 each, and then last year they struggled, ending with a disappointing 4-8 record, marking their worst season since Stoops' first year in 2013.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum warned that if Kentucky has another poor season, it could be Stoops' last as head coach.

"I think Stoops has done so much there that he's entitled to this opportunity, which he has," Finebaum said. "He has a big buyout, which is similar to [former Kentucky men's basketball coach John] Calipari. There's optimism, but if the season falls flat, I think what happens next is a foregone conclusion."

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) is a metric used to evaluate team strength and predict future performance throughout the season. This year, the FPI is not optimistic about Kentucky's chances of improving.

The FPI predicts that Kentucky will struggle again, forecasting a win total of only five games, one more than last season. A big factor behind this prediction could be the team’s challenging schedule.

Athlon Sports' Kyle Wood ranks Kentucky's schedule as one of the toughest in the conference. Before November, the Wildcats will host the Ole Miss Rebels, Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers, along with playing away games against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Georgia Bulldogs.

If Kentucky struggles again and Stoops is let go, his contract complicates matters. If he were to be fired after the 2025 season, the buyout would be approximately $37.5 million. Additionally, according to the third amendment of Stoops' contract, Kentucky would need to pay that amount within 60 days of a termination notice. This stipulation makes it challenging for the university to dismiss him.

The Wildcats open the season against the Toledo Rockets at 12:45 p.m. ET on Aug. 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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