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Debate surrounding Mark Stoops' future at UK intensifies after Tennessee loss

Stories by Lexington Herald-Leader journalists, with AI summarization

These curated articles explore the uncertainty surrounding Mark Stoops' job security at Kentucky despite his record as the football program's winningest coach. Recent disappointing seasons have intensified scrutiny over whether Stoops should continue as head coach.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks off the field following a loss to Tennessee at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 1: IF SOMETHING DOESN’T CHANGE, UK IS HEADED FOR A HARD DECISION ON MARK STOOPS

When the 2025 Kentucky football season began, my view of the UK coaching situation was that there was no situation. | Published October 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky fans react after Tennessee scored during a game at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 2: UK FOOTBALL MAILBAG: WHY IS MARK STOOPS STILL THE COACH AFTER THE TENNESSEE LOSS?

The sting of Kentucky football’s 56-34 loss to Tennessee was not enough to end the Mark Stoops era Sunday despite a growing number of fans calling for him to be fired. | Published October 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) is pressured by Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Edwin Spillman (13) during a game at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 3: CUTTER BOLEY’S RISING STAR ADDS ANOTHER CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE OF UK FOOTBALL

The list of reasons for fans to remain engaged in this Kentucky football season is not long. | Published October 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops watches his team play during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 4: ‘IT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE.’ WHAT MARK STOOPS SAID AFTER UK FOOTBALL’S LOSS TO TENNESSEE

Everything Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops said after the Wildcats’ 56-34 loss to Tennessee on Saturday at Kroger Field: | Published October 26, 2025 | Read Full Story

Football coach Mark Stoops and basketball coach John Calipari chatted during a UK uniform unveiling event in 2016. Calipari’s team wraps up exhibition play Friday night against Indiana University of Pennsylvania -- a team that has connections to both head coaches. By Pablo Alcala

NO. 5: UK FOOTBALL STRUGGLES SHOW PARALLELS TO END OF JOHN CALIPARI ERA FOR BASKETBALL

For Kentucky football, the comparisons to the men’s basketball program are ever present. | Published October 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops during a football game against Texas, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. By Brian Simms

NO. 6: ‘IT HURTS’: EVERYTHING MARK STOOPS SAID AFTER KENTUCKY FOOTBALL’S LOSS TO TEXAS

Everything Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops said in his postgame news conference following the Wildcats’ 16-13 overtime loss to Texas on Saturday at Kroger Field. | Published October 19, 2025 | Read Full Story

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops during a football game against Ole Miss, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. By Brian Simms

NO. 7: THE CRUCIAL AREA IN WHICH MARK STOOPS HAS LOST HIS MOJO

To put a Dickensian spin on it, Mark Stoops says Kentucky football’s 30-23 loss to Mississippi Saturday yielded a tale of two realities. | Published September 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops watches his team during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 8: EVERYTHING MARK STOOPS NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN 2025? IT IS NOT HAPPENING

Mark Stoops really needed Kentucky to win three games in September for the 2025 Wildcats to have a viable shot at bowl eligibility. | Published September 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks to a huddle during a timeout in a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 9: MAILBAG: FANS CALLING FOR CHANGE, YET A MARK STOOPS BUYOUT STILL HIGHLY UNLIKELY

Things are getting ugly in the weekly UK football mailbag. | Published September 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

NO. 10: KENTUCKY FOOTBALL AND ‘THE CURSE OF THE MARK STOOPS CONTRACT’

On Nov. | Published September 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops leads his team on the field before a game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 11: AFTER LATEST UK LOSS, MARK STOOPS VOWS, ‘THERE’S ZERO CHANCE I’M WALKING AWAY’

The latest blowout loss for Kentucky football might have only added more fuel to the fire for a coaching change, but Mark Stoops is not ready to accept defeat. | Published October 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops stands on the sideline during a game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 12: THINK MARK STOOPS’ $37.7 MILLION BUYOUT IS STEEP? OTHER COACHES ARE OWED FAR MORE

College football has a “buyout problem.” For the second time in three school years, there is harsh focus on the contract buyout the University of Kentucky would owe one of its most-visible head men if UK decided to remove that coach without cause (in other words, for losing). | Published October 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

Kentucky director of athletics Mitch Barnhart speaks to media at Kroger Field during UK football media day, August 1, 2025. By Marcus Dorsey

NO. 13: MITCH BARNHART STILL CONFIDENT MARK STOOPS CAN RETURN UK FOOTBALL TO GLORY

There are now six power-conference college football head coaching jobs open, but Kentucky coach Mark Stoops’ job still appears safe. | Published October 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart, left, shakes hands with Mark Stoops on Dec. 2, 2012, at the news conference where Stoops was introduced as UK’s football coach. By Mark Cornelison

NO. 14: HOW MARK STOOPS’ CONTRACT HAS EVOLVED DURING UK TENURE TO INCLUDE MASSIVE BUYOUT

In hindsight, the timing of the contract extension that landed Kentucky football with the current burden of Mark Stoops’ massive buyout could not have been worse. | Published October 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

as Tennessee defeated Kentucky 49-36 on Saturday November 12, 2016 in Knoxville,TN. By Mark Cornelison

NO. 15: THERE’S A WAY UK CAN STAY OUT OF HUGE COACHING BUYOUTS — BUT FANS WON’T LIKE IT

For the second time in two calendar years, many Kentucky Wildcats fans yearn for the ouster of a major UK coach whose contract terms would seem to make such a move cost prohibitive. | Published October 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Story

UK Head Coach Mark Stoops takes pics on the sidelines during the Kentucky Football Fan Day open practice at the Joe Craft Football Training Center on August 2, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 16: IS MARK STOOPS ACTUALLY ON THE ‘HOT SEAT’ AMID SAGGING RESULTS FOR UK FOOTBALL?

It turns out there might have been no true winner in the great John Calipari-Mark Stoops feud of 2022. | Published August 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jon Hale

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.