Kentucky fires head football coach Mark Stoops after he made bold statement: reports

Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky fires head football coach Mark Stoops after he made bold statement: reports

The SEC went through a major coaching carousel over the last few days

Ryan Gaydos Fox News

Published

December 1, 2025 9:29am EST

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The Kentucky Wildcats fired head football coach Mark Stoops on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

The Wildcats ended the regular season with a 41-0 loss to the Louisville Cardinals. Stoops said after the game he had no intention of stepping down as head coach.

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Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops walks the field before an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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

"I’m going to be here as far as I’m concerned. Now I can’t control what decision (is going) to be made. If you’re asking me, I said zero. Zero means zero."

It’s the second straight time Kentucky missed out on a bowl game. The Wildcats were 4-8 in 2024 and finished 5-7 in 2025. They lost a big game against Vanderbilt prior to the Louisville defeat.

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Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops meet on the field after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Stoops took over as Kentucky’s head coach before the 2013 season. The team was 2-10 in his first season but improved incrementally over the course of his tenure. The Wildcats won 10 games in 2018 – the first time they have done that since 1977.

He was 72-80 and will leave Kentucky as the winningest coach in program history.

Stoops also has a $36 million buyout due within 60 days of his dismissal, according to The Athletic.

It’s unclear who Kentucky will hire next, but the Wildcats will become the latest SEC program to make a move. LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida each made head-coaching decisions on Saturday.

Mark Stoops on senior day in Lexington, Kentucky

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops shook hands with senior players and their families during senior day ceremonies before the Kentucky Wildcats faced off against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky on Nov. 15, 2025. (Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Lane Kiffin decided to take the LSU job, while Ole Miss named Pete Golding his replacement. Auburn hired Alex Golesh, Arkansas picked up Ryan Silverfield and Florida tapped Jon Sumrall.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Kentucky fires head football coach Mark Stoops after he made bold statement: reports