LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky fired Mark Stoops following a disappointing season finale, triggering a $37 million buyout that ranks as the fourth-largest coaching severance payment in college football history.

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The Stoops dismissal adds to a growing list of record-breaking coaching buyouts that have reached unprecedented levels in college football, trailing only Texas A&M’s $76.8 million dismissal of Jimbo Fisher in November 2023, LSU’s $52-54 million firing of Brian Kelly in October 2025, and Penn State’s $45-49 million dismissal of James Franklin the same month.

Stoops’ departure marks the end of his tenure at Kentucky, where his contract originally required t

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