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Mark Stoops reportedly remains at Kentucky with same contract terms
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Mark Stoops made all kinds of headlines over the past 24 hours.
Stoops was mentioned Saturday morning as a name to watch at Texas A&M. By Saturday night, Stoops was reportedly the new hire for the Aggies. Hours later, however, it was reported that Stoops had decided to stay at Kentucky. Sunday morning, Stoops issued a statement confirming that he is not leaving UK.
Interest from other programs can lead to a coach getting a new contract at their current school. A Kentucky insider, however, says that’s not the case with Stoops. Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio shared Sunday on social media that Stoops was not given a raise or incentive to remain head coach of the Wildcats.
Mark Stoops was not given a raise or any incentive to stay at Kentucky.
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 26, 2023
Stoops’ current Kentucky contract runs through June 2031. He is college football’s 8th-highest-paid coach, making $9 million per season. As it turns out, Stoops’ salary was just behind Jimbo Fisher’s $9.15 million salary for the 2023 season. Stoops would have owed Kentucky a $4 million buyout if he had left for A&M.
UK finished the regular season 7-5, bringing Stoops’ overall record to 73-64 in 11 seasons. The Wildcats will be playing in their 8th consecutive bowl game.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
