Few coaches have done a better job of resuscitating a football program in the “Power Five” of the sport quite like Kentucky’s Mark Stoops.
That’s because Stoops has managed to post a 66-59 (.528) record and a 61-63-1 (.492) mark ATS in Lexington after the Wildcats posted six seasons with six or more wins combined between 2000 and 2013 (Stoops’ first with UK).
To get a greater sense of where Stoops stacks up against his SEC coaching peers, BetKentucky.com stepped away from Kentucky sports betting updates for a moment and broke down where each stands against the spread during their time with their current school.
SEC Coaches Against the Spread
We utilized records from TeamRankings.com to determine which SEC football coaches have the best record ATS.
For this list, only games from the coach’s current stint were included. Teams with new coaches entering the 2023 season were not included.
On-Field Success Hasn’t Translated to ATS Success For Stoops At UK
Stoops’ straight-up success with the Wildcats hasn’t necessarily translated ATS, with the longtime CFB fixture posting a sub-.500 record against the spread at Kentucky.
Leaguewide, Stoops ranks ninth ATS, sandwiched between South Carolina’s Shane Beamer (.520 ATS) and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin (.471 ATS).
Stoops ranks well behind the SEC’s ATS leaders, such as Sam Pittman of Arkansas (.629 ATS), Josh Heupel of Tennessee (.577) and Georgia's Kirby Smart (.573) — though many Wildcats fans are sure to be happy with the team’s on-field success under the longtime Kentucky head coach.
As for the 2023 season, oddsmakers at BetMGM Kentucky have the Wildcats at +12500 to win the SEC (ranking 12th out of 14 teams), with a wins total over/under of 6.5 this fall.
For those looking to place a wager on that over/under, the over has -160 odds, while the under is listed at +135 on the national sportsbook’s odds board.
Whether Stoops and company will be able to reach a bowl game for the eighth consecutive season is a matter that will be decided on the gridiron this fall.
For now, at least Wildcats fans know that Stoops’ straight-up success in Lexington has been noteworthy, even if the longtime head coach’s ATS figure isn’t as rosy.
