It’s late October again, and Kentucky fans are once more debating whether Mark Stoops has taken the program as far as he can. The Wildcats have dropped 10 of their last 11 SEC games and are sitting at 2–5 overall, 0–5 in the conference in 2025. Offensively, things have fallen apart. Stoops’ conservative style has stifled multiple offensive coordinators, and the team’s red-zone and third-down problems continue no matter who calls plays.
The frustration isn’t just about losing, it’s about money. Stoops is being paid close to $9 million a year, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, and Kentucky looks stuck with him because of an enormous buyout worth more than $30 million if fired now. Fans remember the near-move to Texas A&M in 2023 and question his commitment. Others argue he’s earned patience for turning Kentucky into a steady bowl program. Either way, the tension has reached a breaking point.
Mark Stoops Contract
Mark Stoops’ current deal runs through June 30, 2031. The 2022 extension set his annual rate at $8.6 million per year from February 2023 onward, with a total pay figure now near $9 million. It also removed the automatic-extension clause from his earlier contracts.
Other key terms:
- Assistant coach salary pool: $6.5 million guaranteed.
- University contributions to retirement: 10% of base salary.
- Coach contribution: 5% of base salary.
- Standard benefits, club memberships, and use of a 14-seat suite for home games.
If Stoops leaves Kentucky, he owes a declining fee that started at $4.5 million in 2023 and falls to zero after June 30, 2030.
Mark Stoops Salary
Stoops earns $8.6 million per year under contract, with total compensation usually cited around $9 million including media and performance-related pay. Here’s how his income breaks down:
- Base/annual rate: $8.6 million
- Assistant pool: $6.5 million (separate budget)
- Bonuses:
- $250,000 per win starting with the 7th win each season
- $100,000 for making the SEC Championship, $200,000 for winning it
- $300,000 for a New Year’s Six bowl
- $500,000 for a CFP semifinal
- $650,000 for a CFP final
- $800,000 for a national title
- $100,000 for any non-CFP bowl
- $150,000 if the team wins eight games and plays in one
- Up to $100,000 per year for team GPA of 2.75+ and $50,000 for APR ≥ .975
Mark Stoops Buyout
If Kentucky fires Stoops without cause, he is owed 75% of all remaining salary through 2031. The payment is due 60 days after notice of termination.
Below are estimated figures assuming a Dec. 1 firing each season and applying 75% of full years left at $8.6 million per year:
- 2025 – $32.25 million
- 2026 – $25.80 million
- 2027 – $19.35 million
That’s why the buyout is viewed as so heavy, Kentucky would still owe more than $30 million if it acted this winter.
Will Kentucky Fire Mark Stoops?
The financial math is the main obstacle. Stoops has taken Kentucky to eight straight bowls and rebuilt the program’s profile, but the last two seasons have undone much of that goodwill.
With a buyout in the $30–35 million range, a firing this year would be a massive financial hit. The school could wait until 2026 when the number falls closer to $25 million, but fan patience is running thin.
Unless a major donor push emerges, Stoops is likely to finish 2025 still in charge, under pressure, but too expensive to move on from.
