Stoops was named head coach of the University of Kentucky football team on November 27, 2012, succeeding Joker Phillips, who was fired after a 2–10 season in which the Wildcats’ record was the worst. of the school’s history.
The first year Stoops led Kentucky football, the team finished 2-10, then in each of the two seasons that followed improved to 5-7.
Wildcats victory in the 2016 season
Stoops guided the Wildcats to a 7–6 finish in 2016 despite the team’s 0–2 start to the season, including a victory over their in-state rival, the eleventh-ranked Louisville Cardinals. They couldn’t beat Georgia Tech in the Taxslayer Bowl.
Ups and downs in the 2017 season
The 2017 season was full of ups and downs, and it was also the year star running back Benny Snell broke out. The team finished with a 7-5 record and was defeated by Northwestern in the Music City Bowl.
The historic 2018 Wildcats season
The Wildcats broke a 31-year skid against Florida, led by Snell on offense and Josh Allen on defense, and finished the season with a 9-3 record. It’s only the fourth time in school history that the Wildcats have won at least nine games.
Following Kentucky’s victory over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2019, the Wildcats posted a 10-win season for the first time since 1977 and only the third time in school history. It was the first time a Kentucky coach had won the title since Jerry Claiborne in 1983, when Stoops was honored with being voted SEC Coach of the Year.
2019 season
The 2018-19 campaign was defined by triumph over hardship. After getting off to a 2-2 start and suffering injuries to all of its quarterbacks, the University of Kentucky decided to move wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. to quarterback.
On senior day, the Wildcats finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, dominating Louisville 45-13 with an offense that was redesigned to emphasize rushing play.
The Kentucky Wildcats ended their season with a stinging victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Belk Bowl scoring the game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds on the clock to claim an 8-5 victory.
2020 season affected by Covid
Due to the outbreak caused by COVID-19 in 2020, Kentucky’s regular season schedule consisted of 10 games against opponents from across the SEC. Kentucky has always been invited to play in a bowl game despite going 4-6, and they will do so in the 2021 Gator Bowl against the 24th-ranked team in the United States, North Carolina State.
Kentucky’s 23-21 win under Stoops in the Gator Bowl gave the program its third straight win in a bowling game.
Season 2021
The 2021 season has seen the entry of important transfer players on both offense and defense in the form of quarterback Will Levis, receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and linebacker Jacquez Jones respectively.
The aforementioned players were a big influence; the offense averaged 33.3 points per game, while the defense gave up 22.1 points scored per game. The team finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, including a historic 20-13 home win over Florida, due to better play on offense and defense (the last home win over Florida dates back to November 15, 1986).
In the 2022 Citrus Bowl, Stoops guides Kentucky to a 20-17 win over Iowa. The victory gives Kentucky its second 10-3 season since 2018, its second Citrus Bowl victory in four years and its fourth straight bowl triumph.
Season 2022
The 2022 season is Stoops’ 10th season as head coach of the football team, making him the head coach with the most extended tenure in the history of the football program. Stoops’ 60th win as head coach came in Week 1 when Kentucky beat Miami (OH) 37-13.
This tied Bear Bryant for the most wins in program history. After beating the Florida Gators on the road by a score of 26-16 in Week 2, he established himself as Kentucky’s winningest football coach.
