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The Kentucky Wildcats fired football coach Mark Stoops on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
The Wildcats finished 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 the field before an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“Am I going to leave? Are you kidding me? … Zero percent chance of me leaving,” he said via ESPN.
“I’m going to 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 is the second time in a row that Kentucky has missed a bowl game. The Wildcats went 4-8 in 2024 and finished 5-7 in 2025. They lost a big game against Vanderbilt before the Louisville loss.
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Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops huddle on the field after an NCAA college football game on 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 went 2-10 in his first season, but gradually improved throughout his tenure. The Wildcats won 10 games in 2018, the first time they have done so since 1977.
He went 72-80 and will leave Kentucky as the winningest coach in program history.
Stoops also has a $36 million buyout within 60 days of his firing, according to The Athletic.
It’s unclear who Kentucky will hire next, but the Wildcats will become the latest SEC program to make a move. LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida all made head coaching decisions on Saturday.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops shakes hands with senior players and their families during Senior Day ceremonies before the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 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 signed Alex Golesh, Arkansas chose Ryan Silverfield and Florida turned to Jon Sumrall.
