Kentucky players are motivated to take Mark Stoops off the hot seat

The chatter surrounding the Kentucky football program was impossible to ignore after the blowout home loss to Tennessee. The Cats were 2-5 (0-5), had a long SEC losing streak, and a long home losing streak against power conference competition. Many in the Big Blue Nation were ready for a change and some wanted a change in-season. All of that criticism was being directed at Mark Stoops. Since then, we’ve seen Kentucky flip their season with consecutive conference wins.

The Wildcats are playing their best ball of 2025. Now some of the players are speaking out for their head coach.

Following the 38-7 victory over Florida, starting quarterback Cutter Boley said the locker room hated the hot seat chatter and that the team was putting it on their shoulders moving forward. Mark Stoops downplayed those comments on Monday.

“I think what he means by that is that he wants to play for all of us and I’m part of that. All of us. I want to win for them, so I appreciate that. We’re all in this together,” Stoops explained. “I’ve always said that. I’ll tell you this, you remember I said it a long time ago in here, they do not have to worry about me. I will not flinch ever and I’ll be fine. And I want to win for them and they want to win for we, us, all of us. And that’s a great mindset.”

That locker room sentiment has not gone away. On Wednesday, redshirt sophomore linebacker Grant Godfrey spoke with the media after playing a career-high snaps against Florida and likely stepping into a starting role this week as Alex Afari Jr. battles an ankle injury. The team is playing for their head coach and doesn’t want him going anywhere.

“Just the film, preparation, play every play like it’s a game at practice. Just running around, hustling to the ball,” Godfrey told KSR when asked what has changed with the defense. “I would say the first few weeks we weren’t doing that, but when all that stuff getting mentioned of maybe Coach Stoops leaving or getting fired, I feel like it motivated us more to play harder, make that bowl game. We love Coach Stoops. We want him to stay. So we’re just playing harder.”

The players are emptying the tank for their head coach. Kentucky’s recent wins have quieted some of the hot seat chatter, but it could pop up again once another loss arrives. However, the guys in the Joe Craft Football Training Facility are determined to keep winning and playing for their head coach.