It's Not Motivated Mark Stoops, He's Grateful Mark Stoops

There has not been a clear mantra for the Kentucky football program ahead of the 2025 season. The Wildcats lost a ton of star power following a 4-8 campaign, which forced Mark Stoops to flip the roster, adding 50 new players this offseason, including 26 transfers who BBN is just getting to know.

Without an obvious reason to get motivated for the 2025 Kentucky football season, fans created one for themselves: Motivated Mark Stoops.

Even though it initially started as a self-deprecating joke, the organic creation of Motivated Mark Stoops memes made it the most fun thing about the Kentucky football offseason. Some of the assistants caught on to the bit and used #Motivated to celebrate recruiting wins, but we did not know how the head coach felt about it, until today.

When Mark Stoops opened it up for questions in the Main Media room at SEC Media Days, I asked the first question, and kept it simple. “Mark, how motivated would you say you are?”

“That’s a point that I think, Nick, you’re pretty dialed into,” said Stoops. “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, and it’s no different than I’ve ever been. Zero change.”

We hoped that Kentucky would run with it. Instead, Mark Stoops made it clear that he’s not a fan of Motivated Mark Stoops.

He continued: “I think one thing that’s been a pleasant change for me, is being consumed with certain aspects of this work that we have to do for the years leading up to this in particular — I think all of us have touched on, I want to move past it — but the fundraising aspect of our job kind of gets a little bit, you know that’s something that consumes us, and I think 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 ever been a head football coach, and will continue to always do that.”

AI Confirms: Mark Stoops is Motivated https://t.co/7GDfla8j4L pic.twitter.com/kSJ7SSPrKg

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) July 15, 2025

Josh Kattus shared a similar sentiment earlier in Atlanta. He hasn’t seen a significant change in the Kentucky head football coach.

“Of course, things are amplified, but I would argue that he has been motivated every year,” Kattus told the SEC Network. “Maybe a little bit more this year, after last year, but he’s super motivated this year to do the best we can, and that’s all we’re focused on is doing the best we can right now, and attack each and every day.”

Instead of Motivated Mark Stoops, the Kentucky head coach has a different adjective in mind.

“I’d like to use the word grateful. I think I’m very grateful to be here and happy,” said Stoops. “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 from on the field. So I’m very grateful and looking forward to this 13th year, but it’s business as usual for us. It’s business as usual for myself. I think I’ll play along and let the media have their fun and take their shots, and that’s cool with me, and I’m ready to just move forward.”

Motivated Mark Stoops became an obelisk of optimism for maligned Kentucky football fans online. The head coach doesn’t see it that way. In his eyes, it’s a shot at him.

Motivated Mark Stoops is motivating Mark Stoops to silence his critics.