Kentucky Football Coach Mark Stoops Gets Contract Extension, Raise

Kentucky has quietly rewarded soccer coach Mark Stoops with a contract extension via the 2030 season, in accordance with the varsity’s open data.

The brand new deal, which runs via June 2031, will improve Stoops’s annual wage by over $2 million yearly, as he’s now set to make $8.6 million per season starting in February 2023. He at present earns $6.35 per yr beneath the contract extension he agreed to final November.

The extension additionally will elevate Stoops’s buyout from $1.75 million to $4.5 million. The buyout quantity will lower by $500,000 for yearly that the 55-year-old stays at Kentucky at some stage in his contract.

Apparently, information of Stoops’s extension was not made public to the media, however data present that it was signed on Nov. 11, in the future earlier than Kentucky performed Vanderbilt. The Wildcats then misplaced that sport to the Commodores, 24–21, giving Vanderbilt its first SEC win in over three years. Kentucky misplaced to No. 1 Georgia, 16–6, on Saturday.

“We’ve got been engaged on this for over a month and are glad to have it finalized,” Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart mentioned in a press launch that’s dated Nov. 18 however wasn’t despatched to media. “Continuity has develop into increasingly vital in at this time’s panorama, and make no mistake about it, the job that Coach Stoops has executed is well-known and extremely regarded all through the faculty soccer world.

“This extension additionally acknowledges what Coach Stoops has executed over the previous decade, with unprecedented achievements within the historical past of Kentucky soccer, and reinforces his dedication to UK as we attempt for continued success sooner or later.”

Although the loss to the Commodores actually wasn’t fairly, Stoops has impressed in 10 seasons at Kentucky, passing Bear Bryant to develop into the winningest coach in program historical past with a Week 2 win at Florida. The Wildcats (6–5) are bowl-bound once more in 2022, one yr after going 10–3 and successful the Citrus Bowl.

“I’m very appreciative of Dr. Capilouto and Mitch Barnhart for the connection we have now and the constant dedication they’ve proven to this system,” Stoops mentioned within the launch. “The continuity we’ve had has been essential to our development and is much more vital as we transfer ahead with the modifications in faculty soccer.

“As Mitch mentioned, we’ve been engaged on this for awhile, as I needed to reaffirm my dedication. I’ve liked it right here and am enthusiastic about our future.”

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