Background and career
Mark Thomas Stoops (born July 9, 1967) is an American college football coach and former player who is the special assistant to the head coach at the University of Texas. He most recently served as head football coach for the University of Kentucky from 2013 to 2025. Stoops is the all-time winningest head coach in the history of the Kentucky football program, surpassing former coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Stoops, one of six children born to Ron and Evelyn "Dee Dee" Stoops, attended Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where his father was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator. He is the brother of former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and former Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. After graduating from high school, Stoops played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1986 to 1988.
Stoops was a graduate assistant coach at Iowa from 1989 to 1991. He later became the athletic director and defensive backs coach at Nordonia High School in Macedonia, Ohio (1992–1995). In 1996, Stoops was the defensive backs coach for South Florida. Stoops served as the defensive backs coach for the University of Wyoming Cowboys from 1997 to 1999. At Wyoming, Stoops served under head coach Dana Dimel. When Dimel was hired at the University of Houston, he took Stoops with him to join the Cougars as co-defensive coordinator (along with Dick Bumpas) and safeties coach in 2000.
In February 2001, Stoops was named the defensive backs coach for the University of Miami Hurricanes, replacing Chuck Pagano, who left to go to the Cleveland Browns.
Mark's brother, Mike, was hired as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats for the 2004 season. Mike later hired Mark as part of his staff.
On December 11, 2009, Stoops accepted the job as defensive coordinator at Florida State University. While at Florida State, Stoops played against his brother Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops in 2011.
