Mark Stoops is back in the SEC after only three months of unemployment. The longtime Kentucky head coach will team up with Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns for the 2026 season, joining Sark’s staff as a special assistant. Stoops could’ve disappeared to a beach, tried his hand at television, or settled into a comfortable retirement around Lexington. Instead, his competitive nature sends him to Texas without taking a year off.
And, honestly, good for him. Good for Texas, too. The move makes sense for both parties.
Why Texas would want him
Mark Stoops took the Kentucky program to new heights, but never to the elite level in the SEC.