Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops begins his 13th season with the Wildcats on Saturday versus Toledo.
Reflecting on the last few years is a painful exercise for UK fans. The program failed to achieve bowl eligibility last season after winning just four games — one of which came against an SEC opponent (Ole Miss). Kentucky hasn’t had a .500 or better conference record in three years. And the 2025 campaign will pose plenty of challenges, with consecutive games against South Carolina (away), Georgia (away), Texas and Tennessee from weeks 4-7.
Additionally, Stoops lost a key piece of his staff this offseason. Associate head coach/tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator/NFL liaison Vince Marrow left Kentucky (where he’d been since 2012) to become Louisville football’s first general manager in June.
“It’s fair to say after coming off a season where we were not very pleased, failed to meet our expectations, our own expectations, and didn’t play at the level that we wanted to, that we have to have a heightened sense of awareness, and we’ve got to just have a greater sense of urgency,” Stoops said during a news conference July 28. “Take a good, hard look at all the systems and processes and things that we have in place and make sure we’re doing things right.”
Athletics director Mitch Barnhart seemed confident during a football news conference Aug. 1: “Coach Stoops and his staff and the team have worked their way over the offseason to get back to where we want to be. We’ve been there before, and we’ll respond, and I’m confident that this team and our coaching staff is ready to go.”
No SEC football coaches were fired after the 2024 season. But pressure could be mounting for Stoops to turn UK around. Here’s a look at his current contract with the University of Kentucky, including details on the buyout clause that may buy him another year at the helm regardless of his record this season.
What is Mark Stoops’ salary at Kentucky?
Stoops’ annual salary is $9 million. Kentucky paid him $9.38 million during the 2024 fiscal year (which encompassed the 2023 season), according to the school’s NCAA financial report. Stoops’ current deal with UK runs through June 30, 2031.
What is Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops’ buyout?
If Kentucky decided to terminate its agreement with Stoops, it would owe him 75% of the remaining salary through the end of his agreed-upon term, per a contract amendment signed in March 2017. After the 2025 season, that would amount to about $40.5 million.
If Stoops decided to terminate his agreement with Kentucky early or leave for another position, he would owe the school a good deal less.
Should he end it before June 30, 2026, he’d owe $3 million. Should he end it after June 30, 2026, but before June 30, 2027, he’d owe $2.5 million. This dollar amount decreases by $500,000 annually until 2030. If Stoops terminates the agreement after June 30 of that year, he wouldn’t owe any payment.
What bonuses are in Mark Stoops’ contract with the Wildcats?
There are two bonus incentives in Stoops’ most recent contract amendment (signed in 2022): one related to College Football Playoff participation and another related to other bowl games.
If UK football plays in a CFP bowl game, Stoops will be awarded $300,000. If UK advances to the CFP semifinal game, Stoops will receive $500,000. If UK plays in the CFP national championship, Stoops will be awarded $650,000. If UK wins the CFP national championship, Stoops will receive $800,000. These amounts are not cumulative.
Playing in a non-CFP bowl game would award Stoops with $100,000. If UK were to also win at least eight games, that payment would increase to $150,000.
What is Mark Stoops’ coaching record at UK?
Stoops’ on-field record with the Wildcats is 77-73 (.513).
But Kentucky had to vacate all 10 victories from 2021 (just the fourth double-digit win season in program history) because of NCAA violations. As a result, Stoops’ NCAA-recognized record at UK is 67-73 (.479).
In both tallies, though, Stoops ranks No. 1 on UK’s coaching wins list, ahead of Hall of Famer Bear Bryant, who went 60-23-5 (.710) in eight seasons (1946-1953).
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football: Mark Stoops contract, buyout details