Mark Stoops vs. Vince Marrow: When loyalty meets rivalry in social media showdown
They came from Youngstown, built Kentucky football together for 12 years—and now they’re about to meet on opposite sidelines when Louisville and Kentucky kick-off in late Novemeber.
Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow were more than colleagues; they were architects of Kentucky’s ascent. Marrow, Stoops’s associate head coach and recruiting kingpin since 2013, played an undeniable part in the Wildcats’ resurgence. So when Marrow texted that he was leaving—for Louisville—it hit hard. That move from longtime partner to rival was shocking.
Stoops joined KSR live from Media Day and didn’t hold back.
“Definitely surprised,” he admitted. “But… that’s water under the bridge. Vince and I are good.” Stoops acknowledged the difficulty in telling someone you’ve been with for over a decade that you're moving on, and made clear: “There’s no hard feelings there.”
He also stressed everyone must look out for themselves:
“He’s in a role off the field that, maybe, suits him better right now as he moves forward for the next 12 years.” Feels like a little dig at his coaching ability there.
But when pressed by Matt Jones—“You’re beating him in November, right?”—Stoops didn’t flinch.
“Without question. We’re going for the throat.”
Marrow didn’t ignore that jab. On X, he fired back:
“I will be waiting for November 29 lol. Can’t wait should be fun.”
Their shared 12-year tenure brought two 10-win seasons, deep recruiting classes, and a strong culture—many largely as a result of Marrow’s recruiting prowess, including landing standouts like Lynn Bowden Jr. and Benny Snell Jr.
Their now-adversarial meeting arrives November 29 at Louisville’s stadium. With Stoops publicly sparring and Marrow responding in kind, the Governor’s Cup just got personal again.
Despite the public civility, the subtext is clear: this rivalry has deep roots, and one man’s departure made it personal.