$37.7 million college football coach fired from major college football program on Sunday

A day after the 2025 college football regular season ended, the coaching carousel took yet another turn. In a season when the SEC had already seen four football coaches fired, the end of the regular season has now brought on a fifth. The longest-tenured head coach in the conference will no longer be Kentucky's Mark Stoops, as Kentucky has reportedly chosen to move on following a second straight non-bowl season. Kentucky is negotiating the eight-figure buyout to a contract slated to run through 2031

Possible Replacements

Kentucky fans had quietly entertained the hopes of Stoops being succeeded by Tulane coach Jon Sumrall. Of course, Sumrall reportedly took the Florida job earlier today. Among the popular remaining candidates are a pair of impressive young offensive coordinators-- Oregon's Will Stein and Ohio State's Brian Hartline. Given the offensive issues suffered by Kentucky, it's a likely possibility that an offensive tactician may be UK's ultimate pick.

Stoops's Buyout

Stoops's buyout has been reported at $37.7 million, or 75 percent of his remaining salary due under a contract that was slated to run through 2031. The 13 seasons that Stoops coached at Kentucky is the longest tenure of any Wildcat football coach ever. He led Kentucky to a run of eight consecutive bowl games from 2016 to 2023.

Stoops's Highlights

Stoops's best seasons came in 2018 and 2021, when he led Kentucky to 10-3 records and wins in the Citrus Bowl. The 2021 wins were later vacated by the NCAA due to Kentucky using ineligible players. Stoops's teams went 82-80, but that NCAA action leaves his record at 72-80, still a Kentucky record for the most wins by a coach.

Before Stoops, Kentucky had only a pair of 10-win seasons in program history and none more recent than 1977. The 2018 season included Kentucky's first winning record in conference play since that 1977 team. Stoops delivered several upset wins over Florida, ending a 31-game losing streak to that opponent, and won five in a row in the in-state rivalry with Louisville.

Stoops's Struggles

But in 2024 and 2025, Kentucky went just 9-15 and 3-13 in SEC play. After a 5-5 start to the 2025 season, a 45-17 loss to Vanderbilt and a 41-0 loss to Louisville pushed Kentucky out of bowl eligibiltiy and marked a difficult finish to the season and ultimately to Stoops's tenure.

Stoops never had a 3,000 yard passer at Kentucky and his most recent teams struggled horrifically on offense. Kentucky had not finished in the top half of the SEC in scoring offense since 2021 when Will Levis and Wan'Dale Robinson led Kentucky to 32.3 points per game. Kentucky finished last in the SEC in scoring in 2022 and 2024 and scored just 23.0 points per game in 2025.