'We're going to work': Kentucky's program messaging is not changing for Mark Stoops

Kentucky was embarrassed in consecutive weeks to end the 2025 college football season. The Wildcats were blown out by South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Louisville. That’s over half of the power conference opponents on the schedule. The program will not go bowling this winter. UK is now just 11-21 since a 5-0 start in 2023. Kentucky is reeling and the fan base is highly upset. But the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Dean of SEC head coaches Mark Stoops once again said there was a zero percent change that he would be walking away after a 5-7 season ended on Saturday afternoon in Louisville.

’I’m going to be here as far as I’m concerned,” Stoops added. “I can’t control what decisions are made. If you’re asking me, I said zero. Zero means zero. Zero percent chance I walk away.”

So what is his message to the fan base after another brutal ending to a regular season? The same as it has always been.

“We’re going to work like we always do. We’re going to try to build this roster,” Stoops told the media. “You know, we’ve been in tough spots before, and we’re going to continue to to improve.”

Kentucky has been in tough spots before but this one certainly feels different. The Wildcats didn’t sellout one home game all season. The fan base is highly upset about the direction of the program, and getting blasted by Vanderbilt and Louisville is not helping matters. There is little hope right now that this program is headed to better days outside of some of the glimpses Cutter Boley showed this season. Kentucky has essentially punted on high school recruiting. We are now seeing the coaching staff mine the junior college market for help and will very likely see another large transfer portal class. Meanwhile, there will likely be some coaching changes with seven full-time staff members in the final year of their contract.

The messaging isn’t changing for Mark Stoops, but everything else is. Kentucky’s fans are very upset with the direction of this program. The negativity is hard to avoid. The noise is only going to get louder. How will the program handle this?

By getting back to work.