Kentucky Fires Head Football Coach Mark Stoops
LEXINGTON, KY - January 17, 2024 – The University of Kentucky has fired head football coach Mark Stoops, ending his 12-year tenure leading the Wildcats. The decision comes following consecutive lopsided losses to end the 2023 season, including defeats to South Carolina and Louisville, neither of which were competitive.
Stoops, the longest-tenured coach in the Southeastern Conference, finished his career at Kentucky with a program-record 61 wins, surpassing Bear Bryant’s previous mark of 60. He inherited a two-win program in 2013 and led the Wildcats to a school-record eight consecutive bowl games,beginning in his fourth year.
A key to Stoops’ success was his recruiting strategy, focusing on Ohio and the Midwest to attract players often overlooked by Big Ten programs. He developed several standouts, including running back Benny Snell, who grew up just outside of Columbus and became kentucky’s all-time leading rusher.
Stoops’ teams achieved critically important milestones, highlighted by a 10-win season in 2018, culminating in a Citrus Bowl victory over Penn State – the program’s first 10-win season in 41 years. He replicated that success in 2022 with another 10-win season and a Citrus Bowl win.
Under Stoops, Kentucky broke several long-standing losing streaks against rivals. In 2016, the Wildcats upset Louisville, then led by Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, as 28-point underdogs. Kentucky won six of the next seven meetings in the Governor’s Cup series. In 2018,they snapped a 31-game losing streak to Florida,and went on to win four of the next six against the Gators.
Though,the program’s performance declined in recent years,notably as the landscape of college football changed with the advent of Name,Image,and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal. While Kentucky initially found success with transfers like Will Levis and Wan’Dale Robinson, they struggled to maintain competitiveness. Stoops publicly voiced concerns about fundraising throughout 2023,following his “pony up” comments regarding NIL contributions and a brief consideration of the head coaching position at Texas A&M at the end of the 2023 season.
Kentucky won 20 SEC games between 2018 and 2022, but only four SEC games since defeating Florida on September 30, 2023.
Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart will now begin a search for stoops’ replacement. Oregon offensive coordinator will Stein, a Louisville native, is expected to be a leading candidate.
