Kentucky is expected to fire football coach Mark Stoops, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Sunday, with the process set to formally play out Monday.
Kentucky has scheduled a team meeting for 8 a.m. to discuss the coaching transition, sources told ESPN.
Stoops just completed his 13th season at Kentucky with a 5-7 record after going 4-8 in 2024.
Stoops, 58, went 72-80 overall leading the Wildcats (82-80 if including the 10-win 2021 season that was later vacated). He brought consistency to Kentucky, making bowl games every season from 2016 to 2023 and twice finishing in the AP top 20.
But Kentucky has had very few bright spots the past two seasons, and the university decided to move on despite Stoops being signed through June 2031 and earning $9 million this year.
Stoops would be owed 75% of his remaining salary, which is approximately $37.7 million.
After a season that ended Saturday with a 41-0 loss to in-state rival Louisville, Stoops — who chose to remain at Kentucky when other opportunities surfaced over the years — said he wasn’t going anywhere.
Asked after the game about the possibility of stepping down, Stoops told reporters, «Like, I’m going to walk away? Are you kidding me? … Zero percent chance I walk.»
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.
