The Kentucky Wildcats’ disappointing 2023 season has left many questioning the future of head coach Mark Stoops. With the team’s trajectory raising eyebrows nationally, Stoops’ job security has become a hot topic of discussion.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum recently weighed in on the situation, offering a blunt assessment of Kentucky football under Stoops. “I think under the current construct, I do not see UK getting dramatically better,” Finebaum said. “Mark Stoops really resurrected the program; he had it going for a long time. The problem is it has fallen off a cliff now. I don’t see any reason to believe it’s coming back. So, that’s the issue.”
Finebaum’s comments echo the concerns of many Kentucky fans, who are growing impatient with the team’s lack of progress. Despite Stoops’ efforts to modernize the program with facility upgrades and stronger recruiting pipelines, the on-field results have been underwhelming.
Stoops, however, remains focused on the task at hand, insisting that his staff is working hard to correct last season’s shortcomings. “It’s fun to get back out on the field and work through the mistakes and issues from last year,” he said.
But with the SEC waiting for no one, Stoops’ job security will continue to be a topic of discussion. Despite his contract extension, which includes a staggering $37 million buyout, Stoops knows that he needs to deliver results on the field.
For now, Stoops remains in Lexington, leading a program he’s built over a decade. But with outside pressure mounting, he’ll need to prove his critics wrong and turn the program around in 2025. Will he be able to do it, or will this conversation heat up even more by next offseason?
