Welcome to our new weekly feature tracking the temperature of Mark Stoops' job security. We're kicking things off with a preseason rating, and it's already spicy.
Is Mark Stoops on the hot seat? It’s the biggest question surrounding the Kentucky football program heading into the 2025 season. After every game week, we’ll be here to analyze the performance and update the official temperature of his job security with our Big Blue Hot Pepper Scale.
To kick things off, let's set the baseline. Where does Stoops stand before a single snap has been played?
The golden handcuffs: The buyout
Let’s get the big, ugly number out of the way first. As Paul Finebaum recently noted, the primary reason Stoops is still here is his massive buyout. If Kentucky were to fire him after this season, the university would owe him a staggering amount over $30 million within 60 days. For comparison, Texas A&M’s record-breaking buyout for Jimbo Fisher was $76 million. Stoops’ figure isn’t quite that high, but it’s an anchor weighing down any potential move. It may not be what fans want to hear, but it is a good reason to keep a coach.
The cold, hard pacts: The performance
Recently, Stoops defended his tenure, saying, "For myself, we had eight straight bowl appearances. One of only three teams in the SEC to do that... We had a really good stretch and had been really consistent."
With all due respect, consistency is not the word for the last three seasons, unless it is consistently mediocre. The program has been consistently mediocre, going 7-6, 7-6, and 4-8. A $9 million coach isn't paid for "down years" that result in a 1-7 conference record. The most damning statistic of all? Heading into 2025, Mark Stoops is just 3-34 at Kentucky against teams that finish with a winning SEC record. That isn't a "down year here and there." That is a complete and total inability to compete with the top half of the conference, or even break into the mid-tier.
The preseason verdict
FIrst lets set up the meter:
1-bell pepper
2-jalapeño
3-cayenne
4-Scotch bonnet
5-habanero
So, where does that leave us? The buyout is the only thing keeping the seat from melting. The on-field results have been trending downward for three years, and the fanbase's patience has worn paper-thin. Therefore, the preseason rating on the Big Blue Hot Pepper Scale is:
Stoops seat-o-meter
Rating: Scotch bonnet (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️)
The seat is already incredibly uncomfortable, and Stoops is looking for a little milk to calm things down. Another 4-8 season won't cut it. A loss to Toledo in Week 1 could send this meter into full-on meltdown mode before we even get to Week 2. The pressure is on. They tried to rebuild the roster, will it work?
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premier League soccer. #UpTheAlbion