Mark Stoops responds to motivated nickname in 2025: 'Let the media have their fun and take their shots'

‘Motivated Mark Stoops’ is a title that has trended over this offseason when it comes to the Wildcats’ head coach going into his latest season in Lexington. He’s not thinking about it at all, though, despite it becoming a moniker for him going into what’s his 13th year in the bluegrass.

Mark Stoops addressed the turn of phrase with his name in his first response at the podium while at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Thursday. He has noticed it come up but doesn’t think it’s fully fitting as he doesn’t feel any more or less motivated than he’s ever been before.

“I think that’s a point that I think you’re pretty dialed into,” Stoops said in his answer to KSR’s Nick Roush. “I think it’s interesting. As I talk a lot in the offseason, I love how people grab certain aspects of things that I say.

“It’s no different than I’ve ever been. Zero change. I want to get back to the coaching and that makes me very happy. But, motivated is something that I’m quite sure I’ve mentioned each and every year I’ve been a head football coach and will continue to always do that.”

Again, this came up more than once for Stoops while closing out the week at media days, with it having taken a life of its own. He did so again a short time later at the desk on ‘SEC Now’.

“I don’t know what they’re picking up on. I don’t think there’s ever been an offseason where I haven’t said that I’m a little juiced up, little motivated, you know, whether we won a bunch of games or, in this case, coming off a difficult year, you know what I mean. I think, you know, whatever,” Stoops said. “When you come off a season like that, you’ve got to be, you know, resilient enough to take a few shots. People want to take shots? Take shots, man. I can handle it. I’ve been around a long time.”

‘Motivated Mark Stoops’ has become the expression by some, whether within his own fanbase or not, with Stoops having discussed his motivation to get his program back to where they were earlier in his tenure, especially after last season when they went 4-8 overall for their worst season since his debut in 2013. It’s been a joke, respectfully, at his expense on social media, but it does represent a very real movement going into this fall at Kentucky.

However, while it doesn’t roll off the tongue as well, Stoops renamed himself at ‘Grateful Mark Stoops’ at the podium. That’s with him being healthy and entering another year at the only school he’s ever been at as the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC.

“I’d like to use the word grateful. I think I’m very grateful to be here and happy,” Stoops said. “I had a hell of a year. I had to get an ankle replacement surgery, so last year was a bear on me physically. And, I got that fixed and I feel great. And so, that pain is gone. I’m on the field. I’m very grateful and I’m looking forward to this 13th year.

“… Really, the way I look at it is, you know, I’m grateful, man. I’m, you know, excited. Who isn’t excited, you know?” Stoops added later. “Listen, the season was what it was. I don’t like that. Nobody (does). Any competitor wants to bounce back from that. You know, it doesn’t sit well with you. But I’ve embraced the challenge of that. You know, we’ve got another brutal schedule. We’ve got a lot to do. We’ve got to get better. And that’s been fun, you know – kind of emerging yourself in what you have to do, you know what I mean. So, grateful for the opportunity. I love this team and it’s just been a lot of fun, you know. It’s a big challenge.”

This internet topic isn’t likely to go anywhere, regardless of what the record ends up being this year for UK. That’s why Stoops is going to focus on his job and let everyone else run with how motivated he may or may not be.

“It’s business as usual for us. It’s business as usual for myself,” said Stoops. “I think I’ll play along and let the media have their fun and take their shots. That’s cool with me, and I’m ready to just move forward.”