Early this morning, the University of Kentucky announced the firing of head football coach Mark Stoops. Stoops, the younger brother of former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, was the defensive coordinator at Florida State from 2010 to 2012 and worked with his older brother Mike from 2004 to 2009 at Arizona before coming to Lexington.
FSU is coming off a 40-19 loss to archrival Florida that eliminated the Seminoles from bowl contention. FSU’s final record for the 2025 season was 5-7, the team’s second straight losing season under embattled head coach Mike Norvell. FSU officially announced Norvell would return as head coach in 2026, but made no guarantees about the other coaches on the staff. FSU’s current defensive coordinator, Tony White, was in his first season at FSU. White uses a 3-5-3 defensive scheme, which doesn’t put much pressure on opposing offensive lines. White’s defensive philosophy and strategy were praised in the Seminoles’ season-opening victory over Alabama. Still, the Seminoles’ defense proved to be the team’s most significant liability in most of their seven losses.
FSU has been known for decades for consistently producing NFL-caliber defensive linemen, which is why many experts and fans were baffled by White’s decision to go with three defensive linemen instead of four. Stoops primarily used a 3-4 defense during his time at Kentucky, but has also been known to adapt and run a 4-3 or 4-2-5 defense depending on personnel and opponent. Unlike White, Stoops isn’t strictly tied to one plan. He has shown a willingness to adjust based on the strengths of his players and opponents.
