A historic day on the SEC coaching carousel ended with the expected firing of the conference's longest-tenured football coach.
Mark Stoops is on his way out at Kentucky after 13 seasons, which included two of the school's four 10-win campaigns, in 2018 and 2021. Stoops brought historic stability to the bluegrass, guiding the Wildcats to eight consecutive bowl games and two top-25 finishes. But after consecutive losing seasons and Saturday's 41-0 loss to rival Louisville, Kentucky is expected to fire him Monday. Stoops finishes his tenure at 72-80.
Kentucky has typically been regarded as being a program content with bowl appearances and the occasional breakthrough. The SEC is deeper than ever, but this season featured Vanderbilt winning 10 games and Ole Miss punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff for the first time at 11-1. If Kentucky wants to become the next surprise team, it must get the next hire right and then invest in that person.
Stability has been the key trait in Lexington with Stoops, athletic director Mitch Barnhart and university president Eli Capilouto each in their roles for more than a decade. Barnhart, who hired Stoops, likely will be making the last significant hire of his tenure as AD.
Kentucky has several intriguing coordinator options, including Oregon's Will Stein, who is from the state and grew up attending Kentucky games. Here's a look at the candidates for what should be a sped-up search, as well as key players to retain and recruits to keep on board. -- Adam Rittenberg
Candidates | Transfers | Recruits
Three candidates for the job
Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein: The 36-year-old Louisville native would likely be the favorite to land the Kentucky job. Although Stein played quarterback for the in-state rival Cardinals, his parents went to Kentucky and Will grew up attending Wildcats games. He has become one of the nation's most respected playcallers and offensive architects after working with several notable quarterbacks at Oregon, and would be able to repair Kentucky's primary problem the past few seasons under Mark Stoops.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline: Kentucky needs a better offensive plan and ultimately more talent on offense, and Hartline can address both areas. He has assembled the best wide receiver rooms in college football the past few years, and took over the primary playcalling duties this season, as Ohio State recorded its first 12-0 regular season since 2019. Hartline, 39, is an Ohio native who has only coached at Ohio State, his alma mater, but he has a connection to Kentucky through his brother, Mike, a former UK quarterback.
Texas special assistant to head coach Neal Brown: The search might not get past Stein and Hartline, but Brown would give Kentucky a homegrown product with Power 4 head-coaching experience. A Danville, Kentucky, native, Brown started his college career at Kentucky before finishing at UMass. He later served as Kentucky's offensive coordinator before going 35-16 at Troy with three 1-0-win seasons. The 45-year-old might get dinged for how things ended at West Virginia, a difficult job, but he still guided the team to bowl appearances in four of his final five seasons. -- Rittenberg
Most important players to retain
QB Cutter Boley: Will the next Kentucky head coach bet on Boley as his quarterback to build around? That'll be an intriguing question depending on the hire. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound redshirt freshman got an opportunity over 10 starts this season to prove he's the QB of the future and had an up-and-down year with 2,160 passing yards on 66% passing, 17 total touchdowns and 14 turnovers. Boley finished 12th in the SEC in QBR (63.3) and showed some potential in quality starts against Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia.
S Ty Bryant: The 6-foot, 198-pound defensive back from Lexington has started 25 games over his three seasons with the Wildcats and put together a great junior year with a team-high 76 tackles and four interceptions, which tied for most in the SEC during the regular season. Bryant was one of the bright spots of a unit that finished 13th in the SEC in scoring defense and has one more season of eligibility.
OL Jalen Farmer: Farmer spent two years in a reserve role at Florida before transferring to join the Wildcats in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 318-pound junior has developed into a two-year starter at right guard who has played more than 1,500 career snaps and has surrendered just two sacks, according to ESPN Research. Farmer has one more season of eligibility and could be one of the top interior linemen available if he elects to transfer. -- Max Olson
Three key recruits
QB Matt Ponatoski, No. 147 in ESPN 300: Ponatoski is ESPN's No. 7 pocket passer in the 2026 class. He's also a bonafide Major League Baseball prospect who plans to play two sports at Kentucky. It's part of what made Ponatoski such a significant recruiting coup for Stoops and his staff when the 6-foot-1 passer from Cincinnati picked the Wildcats over Alabama, Arkansas and Oregon in July. A thin late-cycle quarterback market and a commitment to Kentucky's baseball program are at least two reasons Ponatoski might stay put following Stoops' departure. If he opts to test the water, summer runner-ups Arkansas -- still without a 2026 quarterback pledge and home to a perennially contending baseball team -- could present a landing spot.
S Messiah Tilson, No. 26 safety in 2026: Tilson, an agile defensive back from Rockford, Illinois, has been the top-ranked defender in the Wildcats' 2026 class since June. His list of spring visits included stops at Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Rutgers and Wisconsin. Given the wide range of schools who were initially involved in Tilson's process, he could become a potentially attractive flip target before the early signing period opens on Wednesday.
WR Denairius Gray, No. No. 60 wide receiver: Gray spent 18 months committed to Auburn before flipping his pledge to the Wildcats over the summer. A polished playmaker from Florida powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna, Gray carries intriguing upside at the next level. With a new coaching staff at Auburn and programs across the country still searching for wide receiver talent in the 2026 class, Gray should pick up some late flip interest. -- Lederman