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The Kentucky Wildcats fired head football coach Mark Stoops on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
The Wildcats ended the regular season with a 41-0 loss to the Louisville Cardinals. Stoops said after the game that he had no intention of stepping down as head coach.
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Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“Like, I want to walk away? Are you doing with me? … Zero percent chance of me walking away,” he said, via ESPN.
“I’ll be here as far as I’m concerned. Now I can’t control what decision (will) be made. If you ask me, I said zero. Zero means zero.”
It’s the second straight time Kentucky missed a bowl game. The Wildcats were 4-8 in 2024 and finished 5-7 in 2025. They lost a big game against Vanderbilt prior to the Louisville loss.
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Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops meet on the field after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Stoops took over as Kentucky’s head coach prior to the 2013 season. The team was 2–10 in his first season, but gradually improved during his tenure. The Wildcats won 10 games in 2018 – the first time they have done so since 1977.
He was 72-80 and will leave Kentucky as the winningest coach in program history.
Stoops also has a $36 million buyout to be paid within 60 days of his firing, according to The Athletic.
It’s unclear who Kentucky will hire next, but the Wildcats become the latest SEC program to make a move. LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida each made head coaching decisions Saturday.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops shakes hands with senior players and their families during Senior Day ceremonies before the Kentucky Wildcats face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky on November 15, 2025. (Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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Lane Kiffin decided to take the LSU job, while Ole Miss named Pete Golding as his replacement. Auburn hired Alex Golesh, Arkansas signed Ryan Silverfield and Florida intercepted Jon Sumrall.
