Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops has no intention of stepping down from his position within the Wildcats’ program. He adamantly denied those rumors on Saturday afternoon following the Wildcats’ blowout 41-0 loss to in-state rival Louisville on Saturday.
In the midst of a growing frustration from the fanbase after a 5-7 season, Stoops was asked if he had any interest in walking away from the UK program. Stoops laughed.
“Come on,” Stoops said, via Kentucky.com. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you. I’m gonna walk away? Are you kidding me? Zero means zero. Zero; 0% chance I walk.”
Both Stoops and the media doubled down on the question and answer in the follow-up. The media asked Stoops what his argument was for running it back with the Wildcats another year, and Stoops reiterated that he wasn’t planning on walking away from the program.
“I’m gonna be here as far as I’m concerned,” Stoops said. “I can’t control decisions that are made. You’re asking me, I said zero. Zero means zero. Zero percent chance I walk.”
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Later in the press conference, Stoops was asked if he had a message for the fanbase after a troubling season that included just two wins in SEC play, with a 10-3 win at Auburn and a 38-7 win over Florida. Stoops had some honest admissions, but much of it was what you’d expect from any coach in that position.
“Well, we’re gonna work like we always do,” Stoops said. “We’re gonna try to build this roster. We’ve been in tough spots before, and we’re gonna continue to improve. I mean, I love the young players we have on our team. I have to get more. We have to get more depth. We have to be good across the board to play the schedule that we do. I think depth is a big issue. We have to have enough players. We have a good young quarterback that’s a redshirt freshman.”
Stoops has now been the leading man for the Wildcats’ program for 13 seasons. There have been some highs, such as the 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2021, but the last four years have produced average to below-average results. Kentucky went 7-6 in both 2022 and 2023, 4-8 in 2024, and now 5-6 in 2025. The Wildcats’ loss to rival Louisville will keep them out of a bowl game spot for the second straight year.
The 58-year-old head coach is 72-80 overall at Kentucky. According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, he is earning $9 million per year and is signed through June 2031. If Stoops is fired, though, he would be owed 75% of his remaining salary, which comes out to approximately $37.7 million.
There are certainly some interesting decisions to be mulled over by the Kentucky athletics department in the coming days, weeks, and months.
