Mark Stoops, former head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, has been hired by the Texas Longhorns as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian. Stoops is expected to work primarily with the Texas defense for the 2026 season, following his departure from Kentucky after a 13-year tenure.
Stoops Heads to Texas in Special Assistant Role
Mark Stoops has been appointed as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian, with his role commencing for the 2026 college football season. Reports from Horns247, On3's Chris Low, and Chip Brown of 247 Sports confirmed the hiring. Stoops' background, which includes coaching defensive backs during his playing career at Iowa and serving as a defensive coordinator at Arizona and Florida State, indicates he is expected to primarily contribute to the Texas defense.
The special assistant role is sometimes viewed as a transitional position for former head coaches seeking new opportunities. An example cited is Neal Brown, who served as a special assistant at Texas after his tenure at West Virginia before becoming the head coach at North Texas.
A Legacy Forged: Stoops' Tenure at Kentucky
Record-Breaking Achievement
Stoops concluded his 13-year tenure as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats after the 2025 season. During his time in Lexington, he compiled an overall record of 82-80. He became the longest-tenured coach in the Southeastern Conference and surpassed Bear Bryant for the most wins in the Kentucky program's history.
Postseason Success and Recent Seasons
Under Stoops, Kentucky achieved seven winning seasons, including 10-win seasons in both 2018 and 2021. He inherited a program that had recorded two wins in 2013 and led the Wildcats to their first postseason appearance four years later, initiating a school-record eight consecutive bowl appearances from 2016 to 2023. The team also recorded 20 SEC wins between 2018 and 2022, adding four more SEC victories after a win over Florida on September 30, 2023. His final two seasons at Kentucky concluded with 4-8 and 5-7 records, respectively.
Kentucky Buyout Details
Following his dismissal from Kentucky, Stoops is set to receive over $37 million in buyout payments. Specifically, Kentucky is obligated to pay $37.7 million over six years in quarterly installments, without mitigating circumstances to offset this amount.
Defensive Staff Restructuring at Texas
Stoops' arrival coincides with several changes to the Texas defensive staff for the 2026 season. Pete Kwiatkowski is no longer the defensive coordinator, with Will Muschamp assuming that position. Additionally, Blake Gideon, a former Longhorn player, has rejoined the program as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, having previously served as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator.
Prior Connections Between Sarkisian and Stoops
Head coach Steve Sarkisian and Mark Stoops have a history of competing against each other in the Pac-12 when Stoops was at Arizona and Sarkisian was at Washington. Furthermore, Mike Stoops, Mark Stoops' brother, previously worked with Sarkisian under Nick Saban at Alabama.