Kentucky fired Mark Stoops after a 41-0 defeat against Louisville, ending his stay after 13 seasons. Like recent firings, Stoops’ buyout clause has taken center stage, and it might be one of the most expensive firings in college football history.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Stoops is owed a $38 million buyout.
Mark Stoops is owed a $38 million buyout. https://t.co/7SON1M0N4H
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) December 1, 2025
Several fans reacted to this development, given the enormous amount fired head coaches are receiving through buyout clauses.
“I need to get into coaching and get fired, best job in America,” one fan wrote.
“That’s a lot of coffee money,” one fan added.
“Scott Frost got him this payday. 😂” one fan commented.
“That can’t be true. Why did they give him that much?” one fan said.
“That’s crazy.. be bad get paid. I need this job,” one fan added.
“What is the strategy here for Kentucky? Wait until all decent available coaches are hired and then fire your coach?” one fan asked.
“Kentucky will regret this. You don’t let go someone who has most wins in program history. He never had big time recruits and still won. We’ll take a winner like him at UConn. See you soon stoops,” one fan said.
Mark Stoops’ $38 Million Buyout Third Highest Among 2025 Season’s Fired HCs
Mark Stoops received a nice severance package, but he’s not the only one who received that kind of cash after being fired before the contract ran out.
Among the SEC, Stoops’ buyout clause is the second-highest in terms of money and only trails Brian Kelly, who stands to receive $53 million by the LSU Tigers after a 5-3 start. Florida’s Billy Napier comes in third with $21.2 million, followed by Auburn’s Hugh Freeze (15.8 million) and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman (8.3 million).
Meanwhile, in the Big Ten, Penn State’s James Franklin buyout stands at $49.0M after a 3-3 start. Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith will receive $32.5 million.
Thus, Stoops’ buyout clause is the third-highest in P2 conferences this season.
The Grand Total for both conferences is $201.5 million, though this figure could potentially be reduced by 10-20% due to potential offsets from new coaching jobs, and it currently excludes assistants.
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