$37 Million SEC Coach Fired After 41-0 Loss: Report

By Jordan SiglerShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Just when it appeared the dust settled on the SEC head coaching search, another job opened on Sunday night.

More News: Texas’ Steve Sarkisian Calls Out Notre Dame

The Florida Gators hired Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall. The Auburn Tigers are giving a chance to Alex Golesh after going 9-2 with USF this season. Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield away from Memphis.

Lane Kiffin sent shockwaves around the nation when he chose to leave Ole Miss for LSU amid the Rebels run to the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to become the permanent head coach.

...

More News: Florida AD Receives Major Backlash Amid Jon Sumrall News

On Sunday, reports surfaced that Kentucky was set to discuss the future of head coach Mark Stoops.

The Wildcats were embarrassed 41-0 by rival Louisville on Saturday. The loss dropped Kentucky to 5-7, making the program ineligible to make a bowl game.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Kentucky is set to fire Stoops on Monday. The program is set to pay Stoops' nearly $37 million buyout within the next two months.

"Sources: Kentucky is expected fire coach Mark Stoops, with the process set to formally play out tomorrow," Thamel posted on X. "Kentucky will owe Stoops more than $37 million, per his contract, which is set to be paid out within 60 days."

Loading twitter content...

Stoops went 82-80 during his 13 seasons at Kentucky, making him the program's winningest coach. (The Wildcats had to vacate 10 wins from the 2021 season for NCAA violations.)

Stoops signed a contract extension with Kentucky in 2022 amid a 7-6 season. The Wildcats last winning season came in 2023 when the program finished 7-6. Kentucky went 4-8 in 2024.

Kentucky struggled this season amid a rigorous schedule that included ranked teams in Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The Wildcats started the season 2-5 before earning three straight wins to start November.

Kentucky lost its final two games of the season, with Vandy blowing out the Wildcats 45-17 on Nov. 22.

For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.

Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI GuidelinesAdd Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

Recommended For You

NCAAMajor SEC Program Comes to Final Decision on Next Head Coach: Report2 min readNCAA$15.3 Million Head Coach Spurns Arkansas for SEC Rival2 min readNCAAOle Miss Has Been Linked to Potential Deion Sanders Move3 min readNCAAOle Miss Players Turn on Lane Kiffin: Report3 min readNCAALane Kiffin Replacements Emerge for Ole Miss After LSU News3 min readNCAA‘College GameDay’ Makes Major Announcement Ahead of SEC Championship Game2 min read

Related Podcasts

Top Stories

PoliticsKristi Noem Says National Guard Shooter Was ‘Radicalized’ in the US5 min readWorldVenezuela Hits Back After Donald Trump Announces Airspace Closure4 min readPoliticsTrump ‘Wouldn’t Have Wanted’ Second Strike on Venezuela Boat4 min readNewsThousands of Flights Delayed, Hundreds Canceled as Winter Storm Lashes US3 min readNewsDonald Trump Has Taken Prince Harry’s Crown8 min readNewsTrump Administration Launches ‘Media Offender of the Week’ Tracker4 min read

Trending

Donald TrumpMap Shows Donald Trump’s Approval Rating in Each State After 10 Months4 min readWeatherWinter Storm Warning As 13 Inches of Snow To Strike: ‘Extreme Caution’3 min readNWSWinter Storm Warning as 8 Inches of Snow to Hit North and Midwest3 min readNcaaNick Saban Has Harsh Message for Ole Miss Amid Lane Kiffin Decision3 min readAldiAldi Recall Update: Customers Told Discard Christmas Products ‘Immediately’3 min read

Opinion

OpinionRedefining Professional Degrees Will Hurt Everyday Americans | Opinion5 min readOpinionAI Is Coming for Our Most Intimate Communications. Congress Must Act | Opinion5 min readOpinionConventional Wisdom: The Thanksgiving Tragedies Edition3 min readOpinionConventional Wisdom: The Anti-Thanksgiving Edition3 min readOpinionHow to Remain Grounded and Thankful Amid the Chaos5 min read