When Mark Stoops signed a contract extension in November 2022, his résumé did all the talking. He held the record for the most wins of any coach in UK history, had guided the team to two 10-win seasons after a drought of over 40 years without reaching that mark, and had just secured a seventh straight bowl game appearance. But since then, Kentucky is 12-17, and questions have been raised over the future of the longest turned head coach in college football. After a brutal 4-8 meltdown in 2024, it feels like 2025 might be do-or-die. Some think Stoops is coaching for his life. Others think he’s coaching just long enough to cash out. Either way, it’s getting harder to tell if he’s rebuilding or preparing to ride into the sunset.

For more than two weeks, Big Blue Nation has been living in the transfer portal—refreshing feeds, checking crystal balls, and holding out hope that the offseason might just save what’s left of Mark Stoops’ Kentucky football program. Despite being contracted with UK till 2031, he had his head turned by Texas A&M last offseason, before the program ultimately decided to go in a different direction. So, following an abysmal season, the question remains: Is Stoops motivated enough to bring Kentucky back into contention?

That murky motivation was put into words by That SEC Football insiders Mike and Shane, who offered a raw and revealing take on the current state of Stoops.

“I think he doesn’t care anymore. You know what I’m saying?” Shane said. “He’s probably golfing four days a week. He’s just focused on his bourbon, you know, barrels, and growing that business. I joke, I think I feel Coach Stoops does care, and he doesn’t want—I think there are moments where he thinks about how the season or his last games, you know, are going to be.”

Last season was always going to be defining for Stoops as Kentucky’s coach. After the late flirtation with Texas A&M when Jimbo Fisher was fired, Stoops was rumored to be in the mix—until A&M pivoted hard. With the escape hatch slammed shut, Stoops turned his attention to UK but couldn’t get them going.

While there is no doubt that Stoops turned them into a winning program, Kentucky’s offense has often been the reason the Wildcats fall short of truly contending for SEC championships. Stoops’ defensive-minded approach has become a liability, especially now that the SEC has eliminated divisions, a shift that only makes things tougher for UK. The insiders weren’t done peeling back the curtain on Stoops’ mindset, though, and believe that despite the challenges and fan outcry, Stoops might just want to stay with the program.

“I don’t think he wants to leave Kentucky with a bad taste in their mouth,” Shane added. “Because he did at one point put Kentucky on the map. I think he would love nothing more than to do that again. But, man, he’s got an uphill battle, brother.” 

Stoops is staring down his toughest rebuilding challenge since taking over a 2-10 program in 2013, after losing 16 starters to graduation, NFL, or the transfer portal. With a daunting 2025 schedule ahead, another losing season could raise serious questions about his job security.

“I think he might be a little heartbroken, Shane. And he tried to escape to A&M,”  Mike added, referencing Texas A&M’s ill-fated pursuit of Stoops. Now, he’s stuck in Lexington. And the walls are closing in.

There was never any real danger of UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart firing the program’s winningest coach after just one losing season. However, Stoops had been outspoken about the toll that nonstop fundraising, now a major part of coaching in the NIL and transfer portal era, had taken on him, fueling ongoing rumors throughout the fall that he was thinking about stepping away. But he has stayed on, at least for now. But what’s keeping him from walking or stopping UK from doing away with him?

Well, it’s a small number of $44,437,500 million. That’s the buyout number tied to Stoops’ contract, a deal that has aged like room-temperature milk in the eyes of Kentucky fans. It’s one of the most ironclad safety nets in college football—and one that may have unintentionally incentivized complacency. Mark Stoops can fail upward, and everyone knows it. Which is why some in Lexington believe this is a man ready to get fired rather than turn it around. Whether that’s true or not, it’s a narrative that refuses to die.

To his credit, Mark Stoops isn’t just sipping bourbon and waiting for the axe to fall. He vowed to rebuild the program after a disappointing season. Speaking after the season-ending  41-14 loss to Louisville, he said, “I’m sorry I disappointed them and let them down in many ways, but we’ve had a lot of great moments, and I could promise you, I’m pretty optimistic that we’re going to get back to that.”

Kentucky hit the portal hard this offseason. The Wildcats pulled in 19 transfers in December alone, looking to stabilize a roster that lost more than 20 players to exits. That, combined with a 22-man high school recruiting class, means nearly 50% of the 2025 roster is brand new. That’s not tinkering. That’s a full-on overhaul. The question is—do the pieces fit, and will they stick?

The problem is that patience is wearing thin. The days of “he brought us back from the dead” don’t buy what they used to in Lexington. Kentucky fans remember the 10-win season in 2018, the bowl wins, the swagger. But since then, it’s been downhill—slowly at first, then all at once. And with the SEC getting tougher by the day, Stoops’ window to turn things around is rapidly shrinking. He may not be mailing it in, but to many, it feels like the love is gone.

Mark Stoops’ roster puzzle is still a work in progress

Spring ball is in the books, but Mark Stoops isn’t closing the roster chapter just yet. In fact, it sounds like the Kentucky HC is still fine-tuning the Wildcats’ depth chart ahead of the summer grind.

“I feel good about the roster,” Stoops said after spring practice wrapped up. “There’s a couple positions, a few areas where I’d like to get a couple guys. You need to have the depth. You need to be able to function in practice.” He’s not panicking—but he’s definitely still shopping in the portal.

As it stands, three positions are flashing bright red on the needs list: safety, tight end, and running back. It’s not just about talent—it’s about depth. One untimely injury and the Cats could be skating on thin ice. Wide receiver might also sneak onto that list, but there’s some good news—Tru Edwards is expected to be cleared for summer workouts.

This Louisiana Tech transfer is just waiting on NCAA clearance, which would give former junior college guys like him an extra year in 2025. And Kentucky is really hoping to land this big-time player on their roster ASAP.

The only catch? Kentucky has 87 scholarship players right now—two over the NCAA limit of 85. That means some tough decisions are ahead. As Stoops put it, “There’s still some moving pieces,” and the roster puzzle isn’t quite solved just yet.