Texas Hires Mark Stoops as Special Assistant

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has hired former Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops as a special assistant, bolstering the program's defensive expertise ahead of the 2026 season. The move, announced Monday, comes as the Longhorns build on a strong finish to 2025 and position themselves as a College Football Playoff contender.

Stoops, 58, spent 13 seasons as Kentucky's head coach, compiling an 82-80 record and becoming the program's winningest leader before his dismissal on December 1, 2025, following a 5-7 campaign. He received a $38 million buyout as part of his departure. A source close to the situation confirmed the hiring to 247Sports reporter Chip Brown. Stoops brings extensive defensive background, including stints as defensive coordinator at Arizona and Florida State, and as a defensive backs coach at several programs such as South Florida, Wyoming and Houston.

This is not the first time Sarkisian has brought high-profile coaches into special assistant roles. In 2022, he added former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who later became defensive coordinator at USC. The following year, Sarkisian hired ex-Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst for a similar position. Stoops'...