Paul Finebaum issues blunt reality on Kentucky HC Mark Stoops' future ahead of 2025 CFB season

College football expert Paul Finebaum has weighed in on Mark Stoops’ future at Kentucky ahead of the 2025 season. Finebaum analyzed Stoops’ situation coaching Wildcats football on “The Paul Finebaum Show.” According to the SEC Network analyst, Kentucky fans are getting tired of the coach. He said:

“I get a lot of questions about this program. I’ve tried to defend the coach, but fans are getting a little tired. No one really knows what to make of the Mark Stoops situation at Kentucky.”

Finebaum has previously defended Stoops’ chance to turn things around following a disastrous campaign that saw the team finish 4-8 last season. However, he also conceded that the coach’s firing will be unavoidable if the team’s performance doesn’t improve in 2025.

Nevertheless, the question of his huge buyout may also come into play.

If Stoops is relieved of his coaching duties by Kentucky in 2025, questions may arise concerning his contract. His buyout, if he is let go after the 2025 season, will amount to approximately $37.5 million. According to Stoops’ contract, the school will have to pay his buyout within two months of terminating the contract. This could further complicate the school’s resolve to let him go.

Prospects for the new season look bleak for Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats, according to an assessment by ESPN’s Football Power Index. The FPI predicts the Wildcats will win only five games, just one game more than last season. The team’s tough schedule is one of the factors for the poor projections.

Mark Stoops’ Kentucky’s 2025 schedule

The Wildcats will open their season against Toledo on Aug. 30. Ole Miss, Eastern Michigan, and South Carolina will each face Kentucky in September. These games will be followed by a run of matchups against Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee in October.

In November, the team will face Auburn and Florida before relatively easier matchups with TN Tech, Vanderbilt, and Louisville.

Mark Stoops is no stranger to pressure due to subpar performance. His first season in charge of the Wildcats ended in a 2-10 record in 2013. This remains his worst record as Kentucky's coach. His overall record on the job stands at 77-73, making him the program’s winningest coach.

However, Stoops has also seen better days as Kentucky's coach. He led the program to a 10-3 finish in 2021, finishing 7-6 in 2022 and 2023. The 4-8 finish last season is the worst during his tenure.