Mark Stoops thanks players, staff and fans in first public message since firing

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Former Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops is sharing his first public message since being fired earlier this week, posting a goodbye letter to fans, players and staff on X Tuesday afternoon.

The message, written on UK-branded graphics and shared from Stoops’ official X account, thanked “all of my former players, coaches, staffers, and the Big Blue Nation” and called his 13 years in Lexington “one of the greatest honors of my life.”

Stoops wrote that he has “felt your support, your pride, and your love every single day,” adding that Kentucky has become his home and that he is “forever grateful to have been your head coach.”

The post marks Stoops’ first public comment since UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart announced the school would “go in a new direction” after 13 years under Stoops’ leadership. During his tenure, Stoops led the Wildcats to a historic run of bowl appearances and helped reset expectations for the program.

Stoops did not mention his future or plans moving forward in Tuesday’s message, focusing instead on gratitude and the relationships built during more than a decade with the program.

UK has already named Will Stein as the team’s next head coach. His introductory press conference is scheduled for Wednesday.