Hot Seat Rankings: Where Does Stoops Stand?
According to several outlets Mark Stoops should be in the hot seat for his teams recent performance. While Kentucky’s longtime head coach isn’t facing immediate termination any time soon (we will discuss that later), the program’s trajectory has raised eyebrows nationally.
The Wildcats nose dived last season, leading some analysts to question whether Stoops has reached his ceiling in Lexington. The concern isn’t just about one down year—it’s about whether Kentucky is trending downward with no clear plan to reverse course.
Paul Finebaum: “It Has Fallen Off a Cliff”
If the ranking itself wasn’t enough, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum decided to pile on, offering a blunt assessment of Kentucky football under Stoops.
"I think under the current construct, I do not see UK getting dramatically better," Finebaum said. "Mark Stoops really resurrected the program; he had it going for a long time. The problem is it has fallen off a cliff now. I don't see any reason to believe it's coming back. So, that's the issue."
Finebaum acknowledged Stoops’ impact on the program, crediting him for modernizing Kentucky football with facility upgrades and stronger recruiting pipelines. But in Finebaum’s eyes, the program’s progress has stalled, and the SEC waits for no one. If there is no reason to believe it would come back, then what is the point in paying Stoops nearly 10 million a year?
Stoops Responds: Fixing Issues and Having “Fun” Doing It
Despite the outside noise, Stoops is keeping his focus on spring practice, where he insists his staff is working hard to correct last season’s shortcomings.
He described it as "fun" to get back out on the field and work through the mistakes and issues from last year.
Now, whether that "fun" translates into on-field success remains to be seen. Kentucky fans aren’t expecting another 10-win season overnight, but 4-8 is not acceptable this deep into a tenure. It just is not feasible for that to happen, and yet it is entirely possible.
Stoops’ Job Security: Thanks, Mitch
For those wondering if Kentucky would actually fire Stoops, the answer is simple: no, unless he chooses to leave. There is no way the University can drop Stoops.
Why? Because thanks to an amendment in his contract, Stoops is essentially untouchable through next season, and probably longer. If Kentucky were to fire him, they’d owe him a staggering $37 million—payable within 60 days. That type of buyout is virtually unheard of in college football, and it means Stoops isn’t going anywhere unless he decides to walk away.
Credit (or blame) for that ironclad contract goes to Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, who locked Stoops in with one of the most coach-friendly deals in the SEC. So while Finebaum may speculate about his job security, the reality is that Stoops has all the leverage for at least a few more seasons; regardless of the on field performance.
The Bottom Line
As Kentucky football works through spring practice, Stoops is focused on fixing what went wrong last season. That's good, but he is also the reason things went bad last year, so can he fix it? That is a whole other question and debate. For now, outside pressure is mounting, and if things don’t improve in 2025, the calls for change will only get louder.
For now, Stoops remains in Lexington, leading a program he’s built over a decade. But in today’s SEC, patience runs thin. Will he prove his critics wrong, or will this conversation heat up even more by next offseason?
Only time—and the scoreboard—will tell.