Mark Stoops reflects on being SEC’s longest-tenured football coach

Mark Stoops doesn’t get a lot of attention within the confines of college football or even the SEC, because, well, he’s the head coach at Kentucky and not the conference’s traditional powerhouses.

But guess what? The 57-year-old Stoops might not be that old, in coaching terms, but he happens to be the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC right now. Stoops has been the main man in Lexington since 2013, going 67-73 overall during his 12 seasons. That mark includes a 28-62 conference record, so it’s no wonder that only ardent SEC fans know that Stoops has actually been at Kentucky longer than any head coach at any other SEC school.

On Tuesday, Stoops got together with ESPN’s Matt Barrie for a 1-on-1 interview to talk about his battle scars from all those SEC wars.

“Feels like dog years,” joked Stoops about his long tenure at Kentucky and in the SEC, although he might have been only half-joking.

“You know how tough it is to coach and survive in this league,” continued Stoops. “Last year, we hit a hiccup. I’m not very proud of that. We have a lot of work to do to get back on track,”

Stoops, whose Wildcats finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the SEC in 2024, also said that he’s proud of the progress the program has made overall during his time in Lexington.

Former Kentucky Wildcat Darian Kinnard makes NFL history with third straight Super Bowl win

History was made tonight as former Kentucky Wildcats offensive lineman Darian Kinnard secured his third consecutive Super Bowl ring, cementing himself in NFL history as the Philadelphia Eagles dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs by a final score of 40-22.

While many focused on Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce as they aimed for a historic three-peat, Kinnard quietly etched his name alongside an elite group of players who have achieved this rare feat.

Originally, Kinnard was drafted to the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he found himself in an ideal situation, joining a franchise that would go on to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Though he spent much of his time on the practice squad, he still earned two rings in his first two seasons in the league.

In a surprising turn, Kinnard signed with the Eagles in the offseason, setting up a dramatic showdown in Super Bowl LIX against his former team. With Philadelphia’s victory, Kinnard became just the second player in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, joining Ken Norton Jr., who accomplished the feat with the Cowboys in 1992 and 1993 before winning again with the 49ers in 1994.