After Kentucky’s 56-34 loss to Tennessee, the noise surrounding head coach Mark Stoops’ future has only grown louder. On Monday’s episode of Kentucky Sports Radio, host Matt Jones shared what he’s hearing,
and his outlook for the remainder of the season isn’t optimistic for Stoops’ job security.
“Here’s where we are for the future,” Jones said. “I’d say we’re now at an 85 to 90% chance we’ll have a new coach next year. If you asked me that two weeks ago, before the Texas game, that number would’ve been like 50-55%. It’s 85% now.”
Jones added that the only scenario where Stoops could potentially save his job is if Kentucky finishes 6-6 with wins over Auburn, Florida, and either Vanderbilt or Louisville. However, Jones also acknowledged that the possibility of an in-season firing, while unlikely, is no longer off the table.
“I think if they lost to Auburn and Florida, and one of those was embarrassing, it could happen,” Jones said. “It’s not really Mitch’s style, but I don’t know that he wants an empty stadium for that Tennessee Tech game.”
Jones believes that if a change were to happen midseason, it would likely come after the Florida game. Otherwise, Stoops will likely finish out the year before any decision is made.
