Former Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops has reportedly found a new home.
According to multiple sources, including Horns247.com, which first reported the move, Stoops will serve as a special assistant to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
Stoops wasn’t retained last December following a 13-year tenure at UK. Stoops is currently receiving a buyout from the school that was negotiated to be paid in yearly installments as part of his departure agreement.
Stoops is the team’s all-time winningest coach and compiled an 72-80 record and guided the Wildcats to eight consecutive bowl appearances and four bowl wins from 2016-2023. Kentucky also won 10 games twice under Stoops in 2018 and again in 2021 although those wins were later vacated by NCAA because of violations involving football players being paid for hours they did not work in university hospital patient transport. An investigation found no evidence Stoops knew of the rule violations.
Kentucky slumped to 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 last season with back-to-back shattering losses to Vanderbilt and Louisville keeping them from becoming bowl eligible.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops watches his offense in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Eastern Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Michael Swensen)
