After 13 seasons, the unthinkable happened: Mark Stoops was let go as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Thirteen years! That's an eternity in college football, and now, after building a program that was once an SEC afterthought into a consistent bowl contender, his tenure has come to an end. But what did Coach Stoops have to say after this shocking turn of events? Let's dive in.
Just a day after the university announced his departure, Mark Stoops released a heartfelt statement expressing his gratitude. "To all of my former players, coaches, staffers, and the Big Blue Nation, from the bottom of my heart, thank you," Stoops wrote. "Coaching at Kentucky the last 13 years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I’ve felt your support, your pride, and your love every single day. Kentucky has become my home and I’ll be forever grateful to have been your head coach."
Stoops arrived in Lexington before the 2013 season, inheriting a program that had struggled for decades. He steadily built it into a respectable SEC team. In fact, he became the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC before his firing. Over those 13 seasons, he guided the Wildcats to an 82-80 overall record and a 38-68 mark in SEC play. But here's the real achievement: eight consecutive bowl game appearances from 2016-2023. That's a level of sustained success that Kentucky fans hadn't seen in generations. And perhaps most importantly, he leaves as the winningest head coach in program history – a truly remarkable feat.
But here's where it gets controversial... While those eight bowl appearances were a testament to Stoops's work, the last two seasons painted a different picture. The Wildcats stumbled to a combined 9-15 record (3-13 in the SEC) and missed out on a bowl game appearance this past season. Now, some might argue that every coach has down years, and Stoops had earned enough goodwill to weather the storm. Others might say that the program had stagnated, and a change was needed to inject new life into the team. What do you think?
It briefly looked like Stoops might have saved his job with a mid-season surge, rattling off three straight wins against Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee Tech to reach a 5-5 record. But then came the crushing blows: back-to-back blowout losses to Vanderbilt (45-17) and Louisville (41-0) to close out the season. These defeats were particularly painful for Kentucky fans, especially the lopsided loss to their in-state rivals.
Kentucky didn't waste any time finding Stoops's replacement. In a swift move, they named former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as the new head coach. Stein, a Louisville native, had been the Ducks' play-caller for the past three seasons, orchestrating one of the most explosive offenses in college football. And this is the part most people miss... While Stein has already taken on his duties at Kentucky, he will continue calling plays for Oregon throughout their College Football Playoff run. That's a unique situation!
"Growing up in Kentucky and sitting in the stands at UK games as a kid, I could only dream of one day leading the Wildcats," Stein said in a statement. "This is truly a dream come true." It's clear that Stein understands the significance of this opportunity and the passion of the Big Blue Nation.
No matter what the future holds for Mark Stoops, his legacy at Kentucky is secure. He transformed the program, brought consistent success to Lexington, and etched his name in the record books. He will forever be remembered as one of the best, if not the best, head coaches in the history of Kentucky Football. But the question remains: Was it the right time to move on? Did Kentucky make the right decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
