Mark Stoops is facing a familiar dilemma as Kentucky struggles through this season.

Even though Kentucky basketball and Kentucky football operate in entirely different realms, Stoops might take a page from the playbook of his colleague, John Calipari. The takeaway is simple: Coaches who linger too long often wear out their welcome among fans.

This was a reality for Calipari in his fifteenth year. Initially, he joined the Kentucky program with plans to stay for a decade. In hindsight, he might have fared better had he left to pursue new opportunities earlier. His last years at Kentucky were filled with tension before he accepted the position at Arkansas last April.

Stoops, like Calipari, has been at Kentucky longer than most anticipated. Earning $9 million a year makes him one of the highest-paid coaches nationwide, a status he’s secured by repeatedly declining offers from other programs. With that kind of salary, it’s understandable to cling to a winning season of seven or eight games. Kentucky fans, unlike other SEC fanbases, won’t necessarily demand a national championship in football.

However, after twelve years, the excitement may have started to fade. Should Stoops have considered leaving before Kentucky fans turned against him like they did with Calipari?

This question gained traction after Kentucky’s disappointing 24-10 home defeat to Auburn—who entered the game winless in the SEC—dropped the Wildcats’ record to 3-5. If they can’t pull off a major upset, they risk missing a bowl game for the first time since 2015.

Kentucky’s administration defends Stoops, arguing that, even without an SEC title, his presence is valuable due to the program’s drastic improvements since his arrival.

This is a valid perspective, but it may not resonate with every fan. While it’s true that the next coach might struggle more, it’s hard for fans to dismiss the notion that someone else could achieve better results after so many seasons of hovering around the 7-6 mark.

Stoops has undoubtedly raised Kentucky’s football program and rightfully enjoys recognition for his contributions. Fans should celebrate that achievement. Still, persuading them that a $9 million annual salary is essential for a competitive football team is challenging—similar to how they eventually acknowledged that Calipari wasn’t the sole path to championships for basketball.

Whether that’s accurate or not is up for debate. However, prolonged tenures can trigger such discussions.

Stoops can be excused for a difficult season, which this one clearly has become. Yet after 12 years, it’s natural for fans to grow weary of perpetual 7-6 seasons and defeats to teams like South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and a struggling Auburn squad.

The relationship between Stoops and Calipari wasn’t particularly harmonious towards the end. A perceived mismatch of performance between the basketball and football programs created public tensions.

Now, Stoops seems to be experiencing a similar situation on a smaller scale and may soon learn the same lessons about loyalty and fan expectations in Kentucky.

This turmoil is why Kentucky ranks first in the Misery Index, a weekly gauge of fan dissatisfaction.

Four More Teams in Distress

Oklahoma State: This season has been quite perplexing for Oklahoma State. After a successful 10-4 season last year and with a strong returning roster, they were predicted to finish third in the Big 12, receiving several first-place votes. However, following a 38-28 loss to Baylor, marking the first time in coach Mike Gundy’s tenure that the team has faced a five-game losing streak, he remarked that the players “need to do some soul searching.”

It’s unclear what he meant by that, whether hinting at a locker room issue or a lack of focus. But with experienced talent, the team’s current 3-5 record and position at the bottom of the Big 12 is concerning. Something isn’t right.

Gundy finds himself at an interesting juncture in his career. Though he’s still relatively young at 57, this marks his 20th season at Oklahoma State. He has experienced much success at the institution, but the landscape has significantly changed because of player compensation and the evolution of the Big 12, particularly with the loss of the Bedlam rivalry following Oklahoma’s SEC move.

Honestly, Gundy’s demeanor during Saturday’s post-game press conference lacked urgency. He appeared calm and composed despite the troubling state of the season.

Gundy has earned respect over time, so this poor stretch might just be an anomaly. However, he didn’t seem overly concerned with his current challenges.

Maryland: Recruiting was the main reason for Maryland hiring Mike Locksley nearly six years ago. Despite a tough start, including a 2-26 record at New Mexico, his deep connections in the Washington, D.C. region and a stint coaching under Nick Saban made him the logical choice.

If the aim was to elevate Maryland to a somewhat respectable program capable of winning games against weaker opponents and maintaining the school’s reputation, then that goal has been met. The team has achieved three consecutive winning seasons and has the potential to do so again, despite this season’s mild disappointment with a 4-4 record.

The more pressing concern is that Maryland seems to be stagnating, showing little promise for progress under Locksley. In recent weeks, the Terps suffered defeats to Indiana, Northwestern, and most recently, a heavy 48-23 loss to Minnesota. Has Locksley given fans any hope that the program will escape this cycle of mediocrity after six years? Not at all. They have yet to achieve a .500 record in the Big Ten. Is that acceptable for a program that has access to so much talent?

Texas-San Antonio: This time last year, many in college football believed Jeff Traylor was on the verge of landing a bigger position. After successful seasons of 12-2, 11-3, and 9-4 while transitioning from Conference USA to a tougher American Athletic Conference, it seemed likely he would be recruited elsewhere. However, after an unsuccessful interview with Texas A&M, Traylor ended up staying in San Antonio, which fans initially celebrated. Today, though, that sentiment is changing. If this becomes UTSA’s first losing season under Traylor, currently 3-5, the recent 46-45 defeat to Tulsa will be a significant part of the narrative. UTSA initially led 20-0 early in the second quarter and 35-7 at halftime, only to allow Tulsa to mount a comeback with two impressive drives to take the lead. While UTSA is in a rebuilding phase, such a loss raises concerns about Traylor’s future with the program.

Missouri: Despite SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discussing the prospect of an expanded College Football Playoff field, Missouri has effectively fallen off the contender map after a dismal 34-0 defeat by Alabama. This has been a significant letdown. Although they started the season ranked No. 11 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, the Tigers have since faced blowout losses of 31 and 34 points to the top teams on their schedule, revealing an underlying mediocrity. While Missouri fans are generally not the most demanding in the SEC, following an 11-2 season last year, they entered this one with renewed optimism. However, there’s a real possibility they could finish 10-2 yet feel disappointed due to a lack of quality wins.

Struggling but not struggling enough

Mississippi State: This season is shaping up to be one of the worst performances by an SEC team in recent memory, comparable to historical poor records from teams like Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Concerns arose early in the season when the Bulldogs faced a 24-point loss at home to Toledo in Week 3, and since then, they have shown little competitive spirit. Mississippi State stands at 0-5 in the SEC, suffering an average loss of 16.4 points, highlighted by a 58-25 defeat to Arkansas. Their defensive performance ranks them in the lower tier nationally. Coach Jeff Lebby will likely get time to turn things around, especially after the quick dismissal of his predecessor, Zach Arnett. Change is difficult, even if some fans may desire it right now.

Southern Mississippi: Last week’s decision to fire head coach Will Hall was essential for many Golden Eagles fans after his tenure left the team with a dismal 14-30 record, including a troubling 1-6 start this season. The team struggled to compete even against Sun Belt foes such as Jacksonville State and Louisiana-Monroe. The challenge for the administration now is determining what it takes to stabilize a program that has seriously underperformed since 2020, winning only 17 out of 56 games. Once a prominent program outside of the power conferences from the late 1970s until 2011, Southern Miss fans demand better. Being overshadowed by regional peers in the Sun Belt is unacceptable.

Liberty: Few upsets could surpass the Flames’ loss of 27-24 to Kennesaw State on Wednesday night. As previously noted, Kennesaw State had been regarded as one of the weakest teams in the Bowl Subdivision, struggling to adapt after moving up from FCS last year. Just a week prior, they suffered a loss to a 2-6 Middle Tennessee team. With Liberty entering the game undefeated and a strong favorite, the team may have underestimated Kennesaw State, leading to a lackluster performance filled with penalties. Regardless, this defeat is significant. Had Liberty finished the season unbeaten in Conference USA, they might have contended for the Group of Five’s playoff slot. Now, that possibility seems unlikely.

Rutgers: The situation for Greg Schiano in his second stint at Rutgers is trending toward failure. Although he was historically the program’s best coach from 2005-2011, his recent return has yielded lackluster results. After Friday’s 42-20 loss to Southern Cal, Rutgers’ record has plummeted from 4-0 to 4-4, marked by injuries and an underperforming defense. More troubling is Schiano’s Big Ten record, which now stands at 10-31. There has been minimal progress from his first year to now, and Rutgers is currently without a full-time athletics director following Pat Hobbs’ resignation due to troubling circumstances. Being at Rutgers is a challenging job in the Big Ten, but this season’s outcomes do not suggest a return to competitiveness.

Wyoming: Saturday’s game in Laramie was a true display of struggle, as Wyoming, now led by first-year coach Jay Sawvel, fell to a lowly 1-7 after a 27-25 loss to Utah State. It’s surprising considering Wyoming hasn’t faced a losing season since 2015, excluding the short COVID year in 2020. The current situation resembles the dismal period during the Vic Koenning years when the team went 5-29 over three seasons.