An emotional Mark Stoops shares desire for a bounce-back with Kentucky: "I do not like an ass kicking."

The buy-in for Big Blue Nation has been a slow burn when it comes to Kentucky football entering year 13 for Mark Stoops in 2025. Even the greatest skeptics would have a hard time arguing against the program’s portal and high school classes as the staff pushes for a total culture reset, but again, the wheels still fell off this past fall as the Wildcats won just four games — the fewest in a season since Stoops’ first year in Lexington back in 2013. That came after back-to-back letdown campaigns in 2022 and 2023 after the 10-win season and Citrus Bowl victory in 2021.

The program hit rock bottom under Stoops, but it was the continuation of a three-year downward trend, not a one-off. That ended with a 41-14 embarrassment against Louisville in the finale, destroyed by the team’s biggest rival on its home field, losing six of the last seven.

If you have reservations before jumping back on board the hype train, Stoops understands. He’s not making any excuses about his worst season as the head coach in Lexington.

“Number one, I hear them and I accept the criticisms 100 percent,” he said in a sit-down interview with KSR on Tuesday. “I’m not so hard-headed where I’m not going to try to embrace any challenge, any obstacle, to get better.”

There is no sugarcoating what Kentucky’s season was in 2024, Stoops’ most talented and expensive roster, but least disciplined with unjustified arrogance and entitlement. The blue collar identity that made this program so easy to support over the years had vanished, replaced by guys more focused on cashing checks than winning games.

Stoops’ top priority this offseason was to clean house, getting rid of anyone — roster or staff — comfortable with getting their butts kicked. If you weren’t willing to work, you needed to find a new home.

“You could take this or leave it, but I’ve never been as motivated as I am right now. If you know anything about me, I do not like an ass kicking,” Stoops said. “We didn’t play to our best last year and I can guarantee you since that season was over, when we lost on Saturday against Louisville, our butts were in that office on Sunday and have not stopped since.”

The results? A roster he’s proud of, one he can say with confidence is coming in with the right approach, ready to be held accountable and play for the right reasons.

“We’re going to attack this thing, we have to put the pieces together. We have to strategically get better and put them in a position to be successful, but it came with building a roster. That was the first thing I had to do. We’ve done that,” Stoops said. “Then it comes with demanding excellence from them and leaning on them 24/7, in a way, in a very positive manner. It’s about keeping them accountable, making sure they have the leadership qualities that it takes to be successful, to stay united through challenges — because there are going to be obstacles.

“When you play in our league, you’re going to hit adversity. How do you handle that? Do you have the roster? Do you have the depth? Do you have the preparation that it takes? We’re leaving no stone unturned. We’re working our tails off.”

Stoops got a lump in his throat talking about what’s on the line in 2025 and how desperate he is to get this program back to those heights of 2018 and 2021. He knows Kentucky lost its way under his leadership this past season and he was willing to guarantee the Wildcats would find their way back this fall.

It won’t be a perfect season, but it’ll be one that will make the fanbase proud.

“I love this place. I’ve been here 12 years, going on 13, and I promise you — I’ll be honest with you, I’m emotional right now talking about it because my ass wants to get back to the office and get to work to make this team better,” Stoops said. “That’s what I can guarantee you. I can guarantee you that they’re going to play with the same level of competitiveness that we’ve always had, the same chip on our shoulder, the same discipline.

“We’re not going to be perfect, but we’re going to play hard and we’re going to do things right.”