$37.6 Million College Football Coach Fired From SEC Program

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.6 Million College Football Coach Fired From SEC Program

The SEC has gotten a massive shakeup in the coaching carousel.

Several coaches have been fired during the 2025 college football season, including the following: Billy Napier, Sam Pittman, Hugh Freeze and Brian Kelly.

On Sunday, the Kentucky Wildcats decided to add to the mix.

Mark Stoops has reportedly been fired from Kentucky after taking over the college football program in 2013. Stoops capped off the 2025 season with a 5-7 record, meaning the Wildcats missed bowl eligibility for the second straight season.

Kentucky capped off the year with back-to-back losses, ranked as the No. 11 team in the SEC.

Kentucky will now look for a new coach after several teams in the SEC already announced their decisions for the future.

While the Kentucky Wildcats look to replace longtime head coach Mark Stoops, the following schools announced their new heads coaches: Florida (Jon Sumrall), LSU (Lane Kiffin), Arkansas (Ryan Silverfield) and Auburn (Alex Golesh).

Stoops’ buyout with the Wildcats is reportedly around $37.6 million, with Kentucky will likely stretch for the next several years to payout the former SEC head coach.

A search will begin for Kentucky, who went 4-4 under Stoops in bowl games.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops. Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Stoops, the SEC Coach of the Year in 2018, also spent time with the following teams ahead of his tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats: Florida State, Arizona, Miami, Houston, Wyoming, South Florida and Iowa.

Related: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Dealt Unfortunate Coaching News Amid College Football Season

Related: ESPN’s Updated College Football Rankings Make No Sense Whatsoever

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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