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Eight Coaching Candidates for Kentucky Football Coaching Search After Mark Stoops Firing

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Eight Coaching Candidates for Kentucky Football Coaching Search After Mark Stoops Firing


An incredible day of coaching turnover in the SEC on Sunday just needed one last nightcap. 

Given that Kentucky is going to pay Mark Stoops $37 million within 60 days to vacate the Wildcats head coach’s office, it might wind up being a double of bourbon to end the day, too. 

Stoops became the sixth coach in the league to get shown the door this season and perhaps the most surprising in terms of both timing and the amount the school is putting up to make a change, a fitting reminder of which league really keeps affirming it just means more. 

The veteran coach took the program to modern-day heights and redefined what it means to have a great job given the manageable expectations around the commonwealth, but backslid considerably the last two years. Stoops finished with a 72–80 mark across a remarkable 13 seasons, which included a pair of double-digit winning campaigns and a streak of eight consecutive bowl games at a school not accustomed to that kind of success. 

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Yet, Saturday’s 41–0 shutout by rival Louisville seemed to signal the cost was going to be swallowed and a need for a reset. Curiously, Kentucky fired Stoops so late in the process that it cost them a chance to bring home beloved alum Jon Sumrall as the replacement and will force the Wildcats to face off against him for the next several years as an SEC rival.

The good news is this should still be an attractive job to plenty of candidates. It’s in a Power 2 league with resources available, an underrated fan base and a good location to get talent. The next coach will have to fight off basketball and a few other Olympic sports for revenue sharing and NIL funds, but there’s a pathway to success and a modest bar everybody is fine with clearing.

Who could Kentucky turn to? Here are eight candidates who could be a great fit in Lexington, Ky.

Is it possible for the Wildcats to hire a former Louisville player? We’ll find out as the 36-year-old former Cardinals quarterback and assistant is going to be the hot name to watch given his connections around the state. He also has an impressive résumé, which includes tutoring a string of first-round signal-callers while helping the Ducks make back-to-back playoff appearances. 

Hartline has spent his entire college career with the Buckeyes but has been on the radar to become a head coach for a while now given his incredible track record at recruiting and developing receivers. His alma mater isn’t coming open anytime soon and Kentucky would allow him a big opportunity in the SEC while also being a place that could really use all those local Ohio ties that became the fuel for some of the Wildcats’ greatest recent successes. 

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Schumann’s name will get connected to every SEC opening given how embedded he’s been in the conference and another CFP run under Kirby Smart won’t slow that down. He’s just 35 so would be a dose of fresh energy compared to the Stoops era while also keeping some of the hard-nosed elements that will appeal to the Kentucky ethos. 

Campbell grew up across the border in Ohio and has coached around the Midwest most of his career to turn into one of the best around in terms of winning at places where that isn’t easy to do. Kentucky might be just far enough north to offer up the chance to coach in the SEC while still being within his wheelhouse. Campbell has been with the Cyclones for a full decade now and would find the chance to put down the same kind of roots in Lexington without overbearing pressure appealing.

Fleck is not everybody’s cup of tea, but he’d be a 180-degree turn from Stoops. He’s just 45 despite all his years of experience at Western Michigan and in the Twin Cities. He has been remarkably consistent at one of the tougher jobs in the power conferences. He’s about to take the Gophers to their seventh straight bowl game (aside from the COVID season) and could seamlessly fit with Kentucky’s job profile. 

Mullen has years upon years of SEC experience under his belt and he won big at Mississippi State, which is a tougher job than even Kentucky. He reaffirmed his coaching chops in leading UNLV to a 10-win season and appearance in the Mountain West title game. He should be an early call. 

Parker grew up in eastern Kentucky, played for the Wildcats and was a GA at the school. He has done a fantastic job in taking the Trojans to the Sun Belt title game this season and would be one of the top options if the Wildcats wanted extensive familiarity with the program.

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Rahne has steadily improved the Monarchs each season and won nine games in this one. He’s worked for some notable head coaches like Bill Snyder and James Franklin, plus knows the SEC from helping lead Vanderbilt to impressive success several years ago. He’s got an offensive background but his teams play hard and could be a quality option despite his overall record.

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UWM gets run off the floor in first half of 18-point loss to Northern Kentucky

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UWM gets run off the floor in first half of 18-point loss to Northern Kentucky


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That was rough.

An ugly first half from the Milwaukee Panthers led way to one of the most disheartening showings at home in recent memory Jan. 9, an 85-67 loss to the Northern Kentucky Norse. 

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Forward Kael Robinson poured in nine 3-pointers and a game-high 29 points as he and the Norse buried the Panthers with an onslaught of offense, especially early. 

“We’ve got to have two things,” Panthers head coach Bart Lundy said. “We’ve got to make less mistakes and have more toughness.”

BOX SCORE: Northern Kentucky 85, UW-Milwaukee 67

No amount of positive moments from true freshmen Josh Dixon and Stevie Elam – they combined for 18 points in the second half and 30 on the night – could wash away the overall feeling of the night. 

The Norse led by as many as 20 in the first half, which they ended with a 55-37 lead to ultimately handle the Panthers their worst home loss since coming up 36 points short against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 9, 2022. 

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Treacherous first half spells doom

The first 20 minutes may have been the worst half of the Lundy era. 

Only once in the past four seasons were the Panthers outscored more in a half than the 18-point deficit they faced against the Norse – and that came on the road against the second-place finisher in the Horizon League. Their previous worst home loss under Lundy was a 13-point defeat to Longwood on Dec. 13, 2023. 

Northern Kentucky had only four empty possessions in the first 11 minutes of the game, making six threes and grabbing six offensive rebounds. A putback dunk by x Dozier made it a 40-25 game and forced Lundy to use his second timeout of the game. 

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The Norse lead the nation in fastbreak points, averaging 18 per game and Milwaukee simply could not get back in transition, even after a made basket. The Norse had a whopping 20 points on the fastbreak in the first 20 minutes alone – and that doesn’t even include free throws courtesy of run-outs. Two of those transition trips to the foul line came in succession by Donovan Oday after made baskets for the Panthers, a rather inexcusable effort. 

“A complete breakdown in our systems,” Lundy called it.

Oday had 16 points in the half – which wasn’t even a team-high as big man Kael Robinson had 17 and went 4 for 5 from three. 

The Panthers went into the break down 18, but the largest lead was 20 on a Robinson triple to cap an 8-0 spurt across 59 seconds, forcing Lundy to take his third timeout. 

The Norse finished with 11 offensive rebounds and generated 19 second-chance points. They scored on 23 of 34 possessions, averaging 1.618 points per possession. 

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“Give them all the credit,” Lundy said. “They were physical and tough and came up with every ball and outran us down the floor.”

Panthers slipping in Horizon

Milwaukee’s defense the rest of the way was solid – perhaps even good; Northern Kentucky shot 38.5% from the field percent as it scored 30 points in the final 20 minutes. It still wasn’t nearly enough to erase the disaster of the first half. 

The Panthers now sit tied for sixth in the Horizon League having dropped three in a row after a 3-0 start.

Danilo Jovanovich exits game

Milwaukee’s active leading scorer Danilo Jovanovich played nearly 16 minutes in the first half, scoring only two points while appearing visibly hampered, but came out of the locker room in his warm-ups. 

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He continues to be bothered by a balky right shoulder, an injury that limited him to no contact in practice this week.

Jovanovich is day-to-day going forward, which could leave the Panthers without four projected senior starters at the beginning of the season: Jovanovich, Faizon Fields, John Lovelace and Seth Hubbard.

“I look down on that bench and I see all them dudes on crutches that are older and wish they were pretty available,” Lundy said. “…If you have Johnny Lovelace or Seth, that’s a whole different story. You’ve got length, athleticism, Faizon corrects a lot of things. What we have now on the floor, they’re talented but most of those guys have never seen Division-I basketball.”

(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.)



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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill

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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill


More than three decades after a newborn’s remains were discovered in a Kentucky landfill, investigators say advances in forensic science have finally led to an arrest.

Jennifer Cummins of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on January 6 in connection with the death of an infant known for decades only as “Baby Jane Doe,” Kentucky State Police announced this week.

The case dates to 1991, when a sanitation worker discovered the remains of a baby girl at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University.

Despite early investigative efforts, authorities were unable to identify the baby or determine who was responsible, and the case eventually went cold.

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Kentucky State Police detectives recently reopened the investigation using modern forensic tools and updated investigative techniques. With assistance from the State Medical Examiner, it was determined that the infant was born alive and healthy before being placed in a dumpster on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University (Google Maps)

The new information ultimately identified Cummins as a person of interest. In late 2025, the case was presented to a Madison County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Cummins with murder.

“Even after decades of time that has passed, with the collaboration of new technologies, advancements, and persistence, we’ve been able to discover new leads in this case,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Justin Kearney. “That’s why it’s so important for people to know these cases never go cold to us.”

Authorities have not released details about Cummins’ relationship to the child or the specific circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.

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Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains active, and that investigators say they are still seeking the public’s help to resolve some unanswered questions.

Cummins is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Kentucky.



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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.

Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.

He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.

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Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

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Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.

The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.

While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

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Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.

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In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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(Photo of Hardley Gilmore IV: Jordan Prather – Imagn Images)

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