If $44 million was too much to pay, will $35 million be any different if next season goes bad also????

[catben]

That’s the buyout after next season, so I STILL can’t see Mitch paying the $35 million either.

So, are we stuck with Stoops for at least 3 more seasons no matter how bad it gets???

 

[Imafan4evr_]

This has been my (feeble) attempt at arguing for his removal this offseason all along. We have to pay him $9 mil next season to suck again, then still buy him out? That’s crazy. Just cut the loss ASAP and be done with what must be done.

 

[reedsammy7]

I have a feeling that the buyout could possibly be negotiated down. I would hope those conversations have or will happen in the near future. Who knows.

 

[truebluewildcat]

I think the waiting is less about the money and more about allowing for an opportunity for CMS to bounce on his own…as well as surveying the landscape for a replacement.

Kind of like Cal. Could’ve and should’ve been booted after any of the last 4-5 seasons.

This year it became more obvious to Cal…everyone else had kind of known but who wants to be the guy to tell “the guy” especially if it’s going to cost multi millions per for the next decade. Also, hindsight being 20/20, who’s replacing him? Knowing what we know now I wouldn’t take any of those guys over Pope. It was still an out of left field hire, but there was at least a bit more data and body of work.

There is ultimately a red line to make a decision before things get really ugly. I would say, though he pushed it and things were getting a bit uncomfortable, MB played it masterfully. Now more than ever you can’t just Willy nilly pay millions to fire a coach. Need every dime for NIL and staff/support staff to handle NIL.

 

[Cat_Man_Blue]

With Stoops running the show in 2025, the season will be a throwaway/lost season. I see no way UK has a winning record next year. Mean while, UK's competitors are all on good to great trajectories. How exciting would it be if Sumrall or Bellichick were the coach right now?

In the Spring we will be told how great the team looks, only to watch the team get smacked around at USC. From that point, UK will win 1-3 more games. It doesn't have to be this way. I know Stoops has all of the leverage, because of the ridiculous contract that Mitch gave him, but any other SEC school would be trying to negotiate a seperation agreement knowing that the 2025 season will look the much the same as the 2024 season.

 

[Jeff Sykes]

What would have been the difference? A 44 million buyout or paying him 9 million to coach this coming year and then buying him out for 35 million? I know I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but that equals 44 million. So what is the difference? I appreciate everything Stoops has done for Uk but the time has come for everyone to go their separate ways just exactly like it was with Cal.

 

[catben]

What would have been the difference? A 44 million buyout or paying him 9 million to coach this coming year and then buying him out for 35 million? I know I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but that equals 44 million. So what is the difference? I appreciate everything Stoops has done for Uk but the time has come for everyone to go their separate ways just exactly like it was with Cal.

Because unless Coach Stoops leaves on his own, Mitch has NO intention of buying him out. So we are stuck with him regardless of outcomes for the next 3 seasons I’m afraid.

Hope he fools everyone and turns it around or some desperate school comes along and hires him away, because I have a feeling Mitch does NOT want to pay him to leave. JMHO

SAD

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Because unless Coach Stoops leaves on his own, Mitch has NO intention of buying him out. So we are stuck with him regardless of outcomes for the next 3 seasons I’m afraid.

Hope he fools everyone and turns it around or some desperate school comes along and hires him away, because I have a feeling Mitch does NOT want to pay him to leave. JMHO

SAD

I tend to agree. Barney wouldn't buy out calipari in a sport with the highest expectations in its sport (UK basketball fans are crazy with our expectations) and got lucky Arkansas bailed him out.

He has to hope he finds a similar suckered for Stoops. Barney knows UK is gonna get all that big time sec money whether UK goes 4 and 8 or 5 and 7 the next 3 years or 6 and 6 to 8 and 4 range. He knows UK football has crap expectations and history so in his mind Stoops had 1 bad season.

Barney doesn't look at things like some of our fans do.

 

[Imafan4evr_]

I get the argument that he’s “earned” the right to get this thing turned around based on his accomplishments. However, I could counter-argue that the “get right” season was 2024. Dude was saved from some heat in 2023 thanks to the UL upset, but tried his best to bail on us in the night and only came back because TAM rioted (as they should). His goodwill was lost on me at that point. This was the season to atone. Instead, he laid the biggest turd of his tenure. Gravy train should have quit rolling by now.

 

[catben]

I get the argument that he’s “earned” the right to get this thing turned around based on his accomplishments. However, I could counter-argue that the “get right” season was 2024. Dude was saved from some heat in 2023 thanks to the UL upset, but tried his best to bail on us in the night and only came back because TAM rioted (as they should). His goodwill was lost on me at that point. This was the season to atone. Instead, he laid the biggest turd of his tenure. Gravy train should have quit rolling by now.

I agree with everything you said, but unfortunately Mitch REFUSES to pay the buyout right now. My question is will he do it after next season??? I don’t think he will. So what will our fans and the media do in response if Coach Stoops is retained after another season like this one?

 

[bthaunert]

IMO, the buyout could be $1.00 and Mitch wasn’t moving on from him after this past season. Stoops being back has zero to do with the buyout and everything to do with Mitch thinking he should 100% be out cos h next year

 

[Imafan4evr_]

I agree with everything you said, but unfortunately Mitch REFUSES to pay the buyout right now. My question is will he do it after next season??? I don’t think he will. So what will our fans and the media do in response if Coach Stoops is retained after another season like this one?

I think a scene like Joker’s 2012 Vandy game with about 20k in attendance late next season would force his hand. Ultimately, if they see the money well running dry, there’s no choice. Short of that level of boycott, I’m not convinced he would / will do it though.

 

[CrimsonCats]

I highly doubt that Mitch or anyone else with influence has much intention to pay 35 million to fire Stoops. That would be the second largest buyout ever paid by quite a large margin over the current second largest, the 21.5 million Auburn paid Gus Malzahn (the 76 million A&M paid Jimbo to go away will likely remain in a league of its own). To make matters even worse, it’s been reported that we’d owe the entire thing as a lump sum shortly after firing him instead of spreading it out over several years, which probably makes it even more prohibitive than it sounds on the surface. I just don’t see our booster base having the appetite for that.

Despite some people insisting that it’s negotiable, I also don’t see what incentive Stoops has to take less than what he’s owed. We seem to be in a place where we’re really hamstrung by that contract for a few more years unless another school unexpectedly takes him off our hands.