When Mark Stoops became the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats in 2012, the team had boasted only nine winning seasons since 1980. However, Stoops has achieved seven winning seasons in his first 11 years as coach.
That made Stoops a sought-after candidate for head coaching jobs. This offseason, reports indicated Stoops agreed to become the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies before ultimately deciding to stay with the Wildcats.
Following a slow start to the 2024 college football season, a caller on the “Paul Finebaum Show” asked the SEC Network analyst if Mark Stoops is considering leaving Kentucky after this season. Finebaum commented that Stoops is likely thinking about it after a “Dumpster fire” of a season.
“He probably is thinking that right now,” Finebaum said. “He has had steadfast support from Dr. Capilouto and Mitch Barnhart. But, right now, this is a complete Dumpster fire of a season.”
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The Wildcats currently have a record of 3-5 this season. Despite suffering a one-point loss to the then No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs and securing a 20-17 victory against the then No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels on the road, the outlook for the season appeared optimistic. Unfortunately, Kentucky has since lost three consecutive games to the Vanderbilt Commodores, Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers.