$40.5 million SEC coach sends strong message amid calls to leave program

Mark Stoops became Kentucky’s head coach in 2013 and has overseen the program’s most sustained run of relevance in decades, including multiple bowl appearances and two 10‑win seasons.

However, Kentucky entered Week 13 of this season at 5-6 overall and 2-5 in SEC play, with an offense averaging 25.1 points per game and a defense allowing 25.1.

The Wildcats have alternated streaks and slumps, most recently a heavy 45-17 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday that intensified scrutiny of Stoops’ future.

Despite speculation that Stoops could leave amid a chaotic coaching carousel, he shut down those rumors on Monday.

“Whether you like it or not, I'm a Kentuckian. I've been here as long as anywhere I've been. I left home at 17, and haven't been back. This is home."

NEW: Mark Stoops on Kentucky being home:

“Whether you like it or not, I'm a Kentuckian. I've been here as long as anywhere I've been. I left home at 17, haven't been back. This is home.”https://t.co/9s1ocJshjc pic.twitter.com/St31xrUogX
— On3 (@On3sports) November 24, 2025

Stoops began his college coaching career after playing defensive back at Iowa.

He served as a graduate assistant at Iowa (1990-91), then coached high school before returning to the college ranks and rising through defensive‑backs and coordinator roles at multiple programs.

Stoops was the defensive coordinator at Arizona (2004-09) and Florida State (2010-12) before being hired as Kentucky’s head coach in December 2012.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops. — Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops greets players during the senior day celebration before the game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Kroger Field. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

He took over a struggling program and led Kentucky to its most sustained run of competitiveness in decades.

His Kentucky record currently stands at 82-78 overall, including a 10–3 2018 season that saw the Wildcats finish No. 12 in the final AP poll and Stoops earn SEC Coach of the Year.

Stoops’ compensation places him among the higher‑paid college football coaches.

His 2025 scheduled pay is $9 million and runs through June 31, 2025.

Reports indicate that if Kentucky fires Stoops, it would owe roughly 75% of the remaining salary, estimated at about $40.5 million after the 2025 season.

Kentucky’s final regular‑season game is the Governor’s Cup vs. Louisville on Saturday, November 29.

A win over Louisville could restore faith among the fanbase in keeping Stoops, while a loss might prompt more calls for his firing.

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