Mark Stoops Denies Discussing Buyout With Kentucky Officials

On Monday, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops adamantly denied discussing buyout options with school officials, following the Wildcats' 35-14 loss to Georgia, which puts the team at 2-3 on the season. Per ESPN:

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"I'd hate to give anything like that legs," Stoops told reporters. "There's zero chance I'm walking away. There's no quit in me, so that's unequivocally 100 percent false. Anyone who tells you that is lying."

"I don't want to address that crap no more," he said.

Stoops was responding after a Lexington radio station reported earlier in the week that he had gone to Kentucky officials to discuss a buyout.

The longest-tenured coach in the SEC in his 13th season, Stoops has a 69-76 overall record and a 28-65 mark in the SEC. The loss to Georgia dropped Kentucky (2-3) to 0-3 in the SEC after the Wildcats went 1-7 in league play last year.

Stoops is making $8.6 million per year plus incentives after he signed an amended contract extension in November 2022, with the deal running through June 2031. To fire Stoops, Kentucky would owe Stoops 75% of the salary remaining on his deal.

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