Mark Pope Reflects on Mark Stoops’ Dismissal: “He Couldn’t Have Given One More Ounce”
Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope didn’t shy away from addressing the major shakeup in Lexington this week: the departure of longtime football coach Mark Stoops.
On Monday, the University of Kentucky parted ways with Stoops, the program’s all-time winningest coach, after 13 seasons at the helm. The move ends an era that saw Stoops transform Kentucky football from SEC afterthought to consistent bowl contender - but also one that closed with back-to-back losing seasons, including a 5-7 record this year.
During his weekly radio show Monday night, Pope offered a heartfelt reflection on Stoops’ impact - not just on the football program, but on the university as a whole.
“I love Mark,” Pope said. “I talked to him Monday and exchanged texts with him after the Louisville game.
We were together last week. What he’s done for the University of Kentucky is incredible.
By a whole host of measurements, he’s the greatest, most successful football coach to ever coach here. He gave his heart and soul to this place.”
That’s not just coach-speak. Stoops didn’t just rack up wins - he changed the perception of Kentucky football.
But the final chapter of his tenure was a tough one. After signing a contract extension in November 2022, Stoops went 17-24 over the next three seasons.
This year’s campaign ended with a pair of lopsided losses - a 45-17 defeat at Vanderbilt and a 41-0 shutout at the hands of in-state rival Louisville.
Still, Pope made it clear: the numbers don’t tell the full story.
“Just grateful for his friendship and mentorship,” Pope said. “I know the season didn’t go the way that he wanted it to, and maybe it’s been a little tough spell...
Man, he loves this place. He talked to me today about how much he loves Lexington and how he hopes to spend the rest of his life here.”
That kind of passion doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by someone like Pope, who’s still relatively new to the Bluegrass State. Hired in April 2024 to replace John Calipari, Pope and Stoops shared 20 months of overlap in Lexington - a time Pope clearly values.
“The one thing I know about Mark is he could not have given one more ounce of blood, sweat and tears, of his whole heart and life, to this pursuit of making Kentucky football what it was,” Pope said. “And so, we’re so grateful for him.”
It’s a notable contrast from the public tension that once existed between Stoops and Calipari, who infamously clashed in 2022 when Calipari called Kentucky a “basketball school” - a comment that sparked a brief but fiery back-and-forth between the two head coaches. That dynamic seems to have shifted under Pope, who’s shown nothing but respect and admiration for Stoops during their time together.
As for Pope’s own program, the early results have been a mixed bag. After leading Kentucky to a 24-12 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season - the Wildcats’ first trip that deep in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 - this year’s squad is off to a 5-2 start. Both losses have come against marquee opponents: Louisville and Michigan State.
Now ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25, Kentucky has a chance to make a statement on Tuesday night when No. 16 North Carolina comes to Rupp Arena for an ACC/SEC Challenge showdown.
But even with a big game looming, Pope made time to honor a fellow coach who, regardless of how things ended, left a lasting legacy at Kentucky.
“I think he saw that this was just the right time for the change,” Pope said. “But just a ton of gratitude for him.”
As the university begins its search for Stoops’ successor - with reports pointing toward Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as a leading candidate - one thing is clear: Stoops’ impact won’t be forgotten any time soon. And in Pope, he’s got a strong ally who understands what it means to pour everything into a program.