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Calls mount for major college football program to fire head coach after Saturday's loss

Zachary McKinnell|
Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops
Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Kentucky Wildcats

It was the same old story for the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

The Wildcats needed a win over in-state rival Louisville to reach bowl eligibility, but it was another collapse under head coach Mark Stoops. Kentucky lost 41-0 to the Cardinals, marking the second consecutive season Louisville defeated the Wildcats in blowout fashion.

Kentucky's offense finished with only 140 total yards, while the Cardinals rolled up over 400 yards of total offense. The Wildcats' rushing attack was suffocated on the ground, posting 40 rushing yards, while quarterback Cutter Boley struggled.

It's the second consecutive season that Kentucky has failed to reach bowl eligibility. Before this two-year skid, the Wildcats made eight consecutive bowl appearances under Stoops. The Wildcats are also 3-13 in the SEC over that two-year span.

Kentucky fans have hit a boiling point after Saturday's failure, calling for the program to make a change at the head coach position on social media.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops
Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I appreciate Mark Stoops. He did a lot for Kentucky football. It's absolutely time for the Mark Stoops era to end. Both of these statements can be true," one fan said.

"Mark Stoops was able to rattle off a few wins toward the end of the year, but it's probably time for Kentucky to move on," another person posted.

"Yeah, the Mark Stoops era needs to come to an end," another person said.

"If Mark Stoops coaches another year at Kentucky. It just tells me they are unserious about football," another fan said.

"Mark Stoops was the man... So was John Calipari. Nothing lasts forever. Stoops needs to be fired immediately," one fan said.

"I'm starting to think that we should fire Mark Stoops," another fan said.

In 2022, the Wildcats signed Stoops to a three-year extension, which was set to keep him in Lexington through 2031. If Kentucky were to fire Stoops, the program would owe him 75% of his remaining salary, worth nearly $38 million.

Over his 13 seasons, Stoops has compiled a 62-80 overall record and is 25-68 in the SEC. He's led the Wildcats to eight bowl appearances, winning four, all consecutively from 2018-21. The Wildcats have now finished with a losing conference record in four consecutive seasons.

Stoops' best season came in 2021, leading the Wildcats to a 10-3 record, culminating in a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. Unfortunately, Kentucky was forced to vacate most of its wins from that season due to an NCAA rules violation.

Because of vacated wins, Stoops has only won 10 or more games once in his 13 seasons in Lexington. The Wildcats have finished below .500 in six of Stoops' seasons, including the past two years.

Stoops was asked about his future with the program after Saturday's game. He made it clear his intention is to remain in Lexington next season.

"Like I'm going to walk away? Are you kidding me? Zero percent chance I walk," Stoops said.

"I'm going to be here as far as I'm concerned," Stoops continued. "Now I can't control what decision [is going] to be made. If you're asking me, I said zero. Zero means zero."

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Zachary McKinnell
ZACHARY MCKINNELL

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