After the embarrassing loss to Tennessee, a lot of Kentucky fans took out their frustrations on the F5 button\/refresh on Sunday, hoping news would break that Mark Stoops was no longer the coach. That did not happen, but Matt Jones believes it\u2019s only a matter of time before a change is made.<\/p>\n
On this morning\u2019s episode of Kentucky Sports Radio, Jones shared the latest he\u2019s hearing about the coaching situation. He said the lopsided loss to the Vols dramatically increased the likelihood that the program will part ways with Stoops \u2014 unless the team somehow turns it around and goes to a bowl game. Kentucky is currently 2-5, 0-5 in the SEC, with five games remaining.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s where we are for the future. I know this for \u2014 it\u2019s rarely I say certainty. I\u2019ll say some certainty. I\u2019d say we\u2019re now at an 85 to 90% chance we\u2019ll have a new coach next year. If you asked me that two weeks ago, before the Texas game, that number would have been like 50-55%. It\u2019s 85%.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way it could be different, in my opinion, is if they were to win three [games], if they were to go 6-6, which would mean beating Auburn, Florida, and then either Vandy or Louisville.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the past few months, it\u2019s felt like a 5-7 finish would be the gray area that would make Mitch Barnhart and the administration hesitate to make a change. Jones believes that\u2019s no longer the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there was a time 5-7 would have made it close; I don\u2019t think it does anymore. Florida didn\u2019t have a coach. Auburn\u2019s barely got a coach. I mean, Vandy and Louisville, if you get one of those, that\u2019d be nice, but I don\u2019t think it changes anything, unless you beat Auburn and Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.<\/a><\/p>\n Kentucky plays at Auburn on Saturday night. The following week, the Cats host Florida. Jones said that the results of those games will not only determine whether or not Stoops is the coach next year, but also the timing of that decision. An ugly performance vs. either the Tigers or the Gators could force the administration\u2019s hand. Kentucky\u2019s final home game of the season is vs. Tennessee Tech on the Saturday after the Florida game. Jones said the optics of Senior Day at Kroger Field matter.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s a decent chance that I do the postgame show on Saturday night, and we know there will be a change,\u201d Jones said of the Auburn game. \u201cI think it\u2019s unlikely that there\u2019s a change made here in the middle of the year, but for the first time, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s impossible. I think if they lost to Auburn and Florida, and one of those was embarrassing, it could happen. <\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s unlikely. It\u2019s not really Mitch\u2019s style, but I don\u2019t know that he wants an empty stadium for that Tennessee Tech game. I think that the Tennessee Tech game has a chance to be really embarrassing to the program in a lot of ways, and they know that. So I think what happens with Auburn and Florida matters.\u201d<\/p>\n If an in-season coaching change is made, Jones believes it would be after the Florida game, in part because of the increasing number of open jobs in college football and the race it creates for candidates. On Sunday, LSU fired Brian Kelly, bringing the total number of open Power 4 jobs to eight: Stanford, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Penn State, Florida, and LSU. Auburn will likely join that list if\/when it parts ways with Hugh Freeze.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it changes the final decision,\u201d Jones said of the number of jobs open right now. \u201cIt might make them have to announce something early. I look at it like this: if they\u2019re going to make an in-season change, it\u2019ll happen after the Florida game. If they don\u2019t do it after Florida, he\u2019ll be here till the end of the year. That\u2019s kind of how I see it. I would be very surprised if there\u2019s an in-season change, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s impossible for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n For more from Jones on the coaching situation, I\u2019ll direct you to his post on KSBoard<\/a> last night. There\u2019s never been a better time to try KSR+ out. Make sure you\u2019re locked in for what could be a crazy month.<\/p>\n