Report: Kentucky expected to fire coach Stoops

Kentucky is expected to fire head coach Mark Stoops, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The reported move is expected to become official Monday.

Stoops - who's been with the Wildcats since 2013 - went 5-7 in 2025, up from 4-8 in '24. However, Kentucky's season ended with two straight losses, including a 41-0 defeat to rival Louisville on Saturday. The Wildcats ranked a paltry 102nd in points per game this year.

Stoops posted an 82-80 record with Kentucky, including a 10-win 2021 campaign that was later vacated because of NCAA infractions. He's the school's winningest football coach.

Under his watch, Kentucky won a pair of New Year's Six bowls and finished in the top 20 of the final AP Poll twice.

The 58-year-old was signed through June 2031 with an annual salary of $9 million. Kentucky will now owe him 75% of his remaining salary in a buyout, which is approximately $37.7 million, according to ESPN.