The Mark Stoops era at Kentucky appears to be coming to an inevitable and painful end. With the program in a freefall, having lost 14 of 16 SEC games, a coaching change feels less like a possibility and more like a necessity.
The only thing keeping Stoops employed is his massive buyout, estimated to be nearly $40 million. But as fan apathy grows and ticket sales dwindle, the cost of keeping him may soon outweigh the cost of firing him. While Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart has publicly backed his coach, he has to be quietly building a list of potential replacements.