Kentucky Fires Football coach Mark Stoops After Nine Seasons
LEXINGTON, KY – November 29, 2025 – The University of Kentucky terminated the contract of Mark Stoops, its winningest football coach in program history, effective promptly. The decision, announced late Friday, concludes a nine-year tenure marked by a program-altering turnaround and recent struggles. kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirmed the dismissal in a statement released by the university.
The move comes despite Stoops compiling a 63-59 overall record at Kentucky and leading the Wildcats to four consecutive bowl games from 2019-2022, including a historic victory in the 2023 Music City Bowl. Though, a disappointing 7-6 season in 2024, followed by a 6-6 regular season in 2025, and increasing fan discontent prompted university leadership to seek a new direction for the football program. The firing initiates an immediate coaching search with significant implications for the future of SEC football in Lexington.
Stoops was hired in December 2012, inheriting a program mired in decades of losing. He gradually rebuilt the Wildcats, culminating in a 10-3 season in 2018 – Kentucky’s first double-digit win season as 1976. His success broke a long-standing cycle of futility and elevated the program’s national profile.
“We appreciate Mark’s contributions to the University of Kentucky,” Barnhart stated. “He brought a level of consistency and competitiveness that had been missing for far too long. Though, we believe a change is necessary to achieve our long-term goals for the football program.”
The university will begin an immediate national search for Stoops’ replacement. Several prominent coaches with SEC experience are expected to be considered. An interim coach will be named in the coming days to lead the Wildcats through their upcoming bowl game. The financial terms of Stoops’ separation from the university have not been publicly disclosed.
