The Mark Stoops era is over as Kentucky and the SEC's longest tenured coach are reportedly 'parting ways'

It is finally over.

After a weekend of defiance, "zero percent" quotes, and a historic 41-0 humiliation at the hands of Louisville, the Mark Stoops era has reportedly reached its conclusion.

Reports are swirling that Mark Stoops and Kentucky are indeed parting ways, bringing an abrupt end to the tenure of the longest-serving coach in the SEC. The administration looked at the trajectory of the program, looked at the potential empty seats at Kroger Field, and decided that the status quo was no longer sustainable.

The false hope that doomed Stoops

Just a few weeks ago, this ending seemed impossible.

Kentucky had reeled off a three-game winning streak, including victories over Auburn and Florida. The "Fire Stoops" talk had quieted to a minority again. Stoops himself was confident, talking openly about the "core" of young players he anticipated returning and how he was ready to "get back to work" to fix the roster holes.

He thought he was safe. He thought the buyout was his shield.

But the last two weeks changed everything. Getting blown out by Vanderbilt was bad; getting shut out by Louisville in the first Governor's Cup blanking since 2004 was the last straw.

The Louisville blowout was the breaking point

We can analyze the 13-year tenure all day, but this decision ultimately came down to Saturday afternoon in Louisville.

You simply cannot survive a 41-0 loss to your arch-rival. You definitely cannot survive it when that rival is missing their best receiver and their top four running backs.

The lasting image of the Mark Stoops era won't be the Citrus Bowl wins; it will be a redshirt freshman walk-on running back gashing Kentucky's "SEC defense" for over 100 yards while Stoops stood helplessly on the sideline. That level of non-competitiveness forced Mitch Barnhart's hand.

The buyout battle

Now comes the messy part: The Money.

Stoops’ contract famously includes a massive buyout, with 75 percent due within 60 days of termination. Neither side wants a messy court battle, so the lawyers are currently working overtime.

Negotiations are underway to determine a settlement that allows Stoops to exit gracefully and allows Kentucky to avoid cutting a lump-sum check that would cripple the athletic department’s cash flow. Expect this to be a structured payout, but make no mistake, Mark Stoops is leaving Lexington a very wealthy man.

The search begins now

With Stoops out, the focus immediately shifts to the future.

As we reported earlier, the coaching hot board is already set. Mitch Barnhart will make Will Stein (Oregon OC) and Brian Hartline (Ohio State OC) say "no" before he moves on to anyone else.

Those are the clear top two targets. Kentucky needs an offensive innovator to modernize the program, and both Stein and Hartline fit that mold perfectly.

The longest tenure in Kentucky football history is over. The "recruit and develop" slow-build era is done. Now, the Wildcats have to find someone who can win in the fast lane.

Stay tuned. It is going to be a wild couple of days in the Bluegrass. Micah 7:7.