Overview
- Kentucky confirmed the dismissal on Monday, two days after a 41-0 loss at Louisville capped a 5-7 season and followed a 4-8 campaign in 2024.
- Stoops departs as the Wildcats’ all-time wins leader at 82-80 with two 10-win seasons, two Citrus Bowl victories and eight straight bowl trips from 2016–2023.
- Athletic director Mitch Barnhart thanked Stoops and said the program will go in a new direction, pledging continued investment to build a championship-caliber operation.
- Contract language puts the buyout at about $37.7–$38 million due within 60 days if fired without cause, and multiple reports say both sides are working to spread payments over several years.
- The search begins late in an active SEC cycle, with Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Ole Miss already making hires, narrowing Kentucky’s candidate pool.