Is Mark Stoops on the Hot Seat? National Writers Weigh In

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Talking SZN and lists go together like peas and carrots. There are watch lists for awards, quarterback rankings, and predicted final standings. There’s another topic at the forefront of conversation: coaches on the Hot Seat.

Following a 4-8 season in Lexington, there are many folks around the Commonwealth asking the question, “Is Mark Stoops on the Hot Seat?”

Mitch Barnhart has made it clear that it is not the case. Last year was the first losing season by Stoops since 2015. The longest-tenured coach in the SEC and winningest coach in program history has earned plenty of goodwill that cannot immediately evaporate.

Whenever I am asked the question about the temperature of Mark Stoops’ seat, there is zero hesitation in my response. Mark Stoops is not on the Hot Seat. There are no circumstances outside of a salacious scandal that would force Mitch Barnhart to raise the funds to pay for the second-largest buyout in college football history. Folks who don’t cover Kentucky football as closely have differing opinions on Mark Stoops’ job security.

The Athletic

When ranking the coaches in the SEC, Seth Emerson only put two coaches directly on the Hot Seat, Arkansas’ Sam Pittman and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops.

“The dean of SEC coaches is coming off a clunker of a 4-8 season, which might have been an opportune time for Stoops and his bosses to shake hands and move on. The fact he didn’t speaks either to Stoops’ competitive fire to get the program back to a solid level, or apathy in the administration. Or maybe both,” writes Emerson.

Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

Sports Illustrated

Pat Forde is not known for pulling punches with his commentary, but the Louisvillian is well aware of the climate around Lexington. He believes Stoops’ seat is hot, “but his contract provides some insulation.”

“Sometimes marriages get stale, and that’s how this one feels.”

Forde continued, “Gifted with a John Calipari Lite contract, Stoops is expensive and hard to fire. He would have jumped on his own to Texas A&M in 2023, but that move was vetoed at the last minute. If he can find a landing spot, he might try again if this season is a struggle.”

USA Today

The SEC had a 100% retention rate following the 2024 season, which speaks more to penny-pinching ahead of revenue-sharing than it does on-field results. That will likely change after this season. Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams ranked the five coaches most likely to get the ax. The former had Stoops at No. 5, while the latter had the Kentucky head coach at No. 2.

“Momentum hasn’t stalled. It’s reversed. The combination of SEC expansion, elimination of divisions, and big spending by conference peers didn’t do Stoops any favors, either. Perhaps, a new coach would galvanize fundraising for Kentucky football.”

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board.