Paul Finebaum Names SEC Coach Whose Career is 'Fragile'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The 2024 college football season marked a year of challenges for a once-promising SEC team, the Kentucky Wildcats.

After posting a successful 10-3 record in 2021, the team followed up with back-to-back 7-6 seasons. However, in 2024, the Wildcats' performance took a significant downturn, resulting in a disappointing 4-8 record, their worst since Mark Stoops' first year as head coach in 2013.

The Wildcats faced another setback during the offseason when Vince Marrow, who has been with Stoops since he took over as head coach, announced he was leaving Kentucky. Marrow served as the associate head coach and tight ends coach but decided to accept a position as the general manager for the Louisville Cardinals.

During "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum commented on this development. He expressed uncertainty about the reasons for Marrow's departure but indicated that it reflects the current state of Stoops' career.

"I do know that Mark Stoops' career right now is fragile enough," Finebaum said. "There is no way of sugarcoating it. The last two years have been terrible. I have felt a disconnect from fans."

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) is a metric used to assess team strength and predict future performance throughout the season. Unfortunately, the FPI does not have high expectations for the Wildcats' chances of bouncing back this year.

The FPI predicts Kentucky will win just five games, which is only one more than the previous season. This ranking places them as the third-worst team in the SEC, ahead of only the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Vanderbilt Commodores.

A significant factor in this prediction is likely the schedule. Kyle Wood from Athlon Sports ranks Kentucky's schedule as one of the toughest in the conference. Before November, the Wildcats will host Ole Miss, Texas and Tennessee, while also playing away games against South Carolina and Georgia.

The second half of the season does not offer much relief either, as Kentucky will face road games against Auburn, Vanderbilt and rival Louisville in the season finale. Additionally, Florida will visit Lexington in November.

While Stoops hopes the Wildcats can turn things around, the challenging schedule does not appear to be in their favor.

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

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