With only three days remaining for National Signing Day, the Kentucky Wildcats fired head coach Mark Stoops after 13 seasons. He was the longest tenured head coach in the SEC but following an embarrassing 41-0 loss to Louisville on Saturday, the Wildcats pulled the plug on him.
With Stoops gone, Kentucky’s commits reacted to how they will handle the new reality. The responses received so far were mix but almost all were shocked after Stoops’ firing went down.
Kentucky 4-star QB commit Matt Ponatoski, who has also committed to play baseball, acknowledged Stoops’ contribution in his Kentucky decision, but now has some thinking to do.
“I appreciate all that he has done for me and my family during the recruiting process and I’m looking forward to what the school does as far as a new head coach,” Ponatoski told Rivals. “I was never going to sign next week because I’m not going to school early, signing in February.”
Meanwhile, 4-star EDGE commit Ben Duncum has also reacted to Stoops’ firing. It appears he is still on planning on staying committed with the program despite the head coach’s firing.
“It’s a little rattling for me because he was a big part in my recruiting, but I love UK and the environment and the fan base is always showing out even when they suffered,” he told Rivals. “And I think they will bring in a coach who is solid.
“It’s definitely shocking it’s happening three days before signing, but I’m locked in. I love UK, the fan base is loyal and always shows out for the team. I love the area itself and I’m not going anywhere.”
3-star UK safety commit Isaiah McMillian also reaffirmed hi commitment with Kentucky:
“No comment. I’m still locked in over there though.”
Meanwhile, 3-star WR commit Prince Jean has already started to think hard about his next steps:
“I’ll have to think hard on this.”
What’s Next For Kentucky After Mark Stoops’ Firing?
The first thing Kentucky needs to do after firing Mark Stoops is to begin the national search and hire his replacement right away. Oregon’s offensive coordinator Will Stein is considered a top candidate for the job at UK.
When Mark Stoops became the head coach, Kentucky was coming off a 2-10 season. The veteran led the team to a successful decade, including multiple bowl appearances, two 10-win seasons and several bowl wins.
However, in the last two seasons, the win column was drying up. Last year, it was 4-8, in 2025, it was 5-7.
The program needs to hire his replacement fast possibly before the National Signing Day so that their commits know who they will be led by in the future.
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