How an Auburn Win Could Impact Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops

The Auburn Tigers have a chance to keep the Kentucky head coach winless in conference play, pushing his position in a dire spot

Auburn has a chance to hand Stoops yet another SEC loss this season | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

When Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze looks across the field on Saturday, he will see a coach in a far worse situation. Embattled Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops will enter the game with a slim chance to win but an even slimmer chance to keep his job. 

The Wildcats are playing out the metaphorical string for this season. Stoops needs nothing short of a miracle to keep his job. Meanwhile, Freeze sits two wins from bowl eligibility and a possible reprieve. Fate might want Auburn to earn a bowl bid. 

Last Call?

In his 13th season, Stoops stares down the barrel of his sixth losing season. With a career record of 79-78, staying above .500 becomes imperative. He recruits very well, to his credit, drawing talent to the UK.

In 13 regular seasons Kentucky, Mark Stoops has:

Won 9 games twice
7 games five times

And is about to finish Under .500 for the 6th time.

2018 and 2021 were fun but let's be honest, the entire Stoops era wasnt good -- The bar was just laughably low

— VP of the Bill Walton Fan Club (@UKFREAK00) October 27, 2025

A loss to Auburn would also hand Stoops his sixth loss in conference play this season. This would mark the fifth time he's lost six conference game in a season during his time at Kentucky. He's only gone winless in SEC action one, back in his first season at the helm.

However, he recruits well for Kentucky. Meaning, would many of his players start on other SEC rosters? That does not mean that Stoops has not enjoyed a measure of success. In bowl games, he's sporting a 4-4 record. Again, a commendable accomplishment for a program that is not considered an upper-echelon SEC program.

Saving Grace?

Kentucky will always be a basketball school that happens to field a football team. Wildcat basketball is the engine that drives that athletic program by establishing itself as a perennial threat to win the national title. 

Meanwhile, Stoops can go 7-5 or 5-7, and no one will bat an eye. Granted, no athletic director wants to see their team lose week after week. Yet, the basketball team's success shelters the coach from any media storm/ fan outrage. 

Building Block Showcase

Stoops has one potential ace in redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley. Right now, Boley continues to find his way as a starter. Old school coaches describe his game as a "puppy with big paws." He is very young in his role, but he can grow exponentially. Boley earned the job after former Auburn quarterback Zach Calzada's struggles. 

Boley threw for five touchdowns and 330 yards against Tennessee, so his confidence is sky high. Granted, the Volunteers dropped 56 on the Kentucky defense, but that isn't Boley's problem. 

Against Auburn, look for a young quarterback with nothing to lose to take a chance in a game that no one expects him to win or even stay close to. That makes Boley dangerous in that scenario. Under those circumstances, Stoops, depending on Boley's development, receives an extra year or two. 

The Benefactor

Last week, Auburn played a desperate Arkansas team with a coach who wanted to rip off the interim tag and reclaim the job he truly wanted. The Hogs led but were never going to finish. Desperation usually works when the teams are relatively even in terms of talent. Arkansas boasts a pass rusher, a corner on defense, and not much else. Similarly, Stoops' Wildcats enter the game with little defensively, allowing 30.1 points per game. 

Bottom Line

Auburn's offense, regardless of who takes snaps at quarterback, should enjoy a huge day. Kentucky's defense will not keep up. The Tigers should be one step closer to a bowl invite. Their biggest possible hiccup arrives in the form of Boley, who may turn the game into a shootout, which is helpful for Stoops' efforts to stick around.