The team has played more than 1,150 games over 122 seasons of Kentucky football.[1] Both the inaugural 1881 squad and the revived 1891 squad have unknown coaches according to university records in winning two games and losing three.[1] Since 1892, eight coaches have led the Wildcats in postseason bowl games: Bear Bryant, Fran Curci, Jerry Claiborne, Bill Curry, Hal Mumme, Rich Brooks, Joker Phillips[3] and Mark Stoops.
Two of those coaches also won conference championships: Bryant and Curci won a combined three as a member of the SEC.[4]
Stoops is the leader in both seasons coached, with ten, and all-time wins, with 66. At the time of this writing is entering his 11th season as coach of the Wildcats.[5] Fran Curci was the previous leader with 9 seasons coached.[4] Bryant was the previous leader in games won, with 60 victories during his eight seasons with the program.[4]Jack Wright has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .875.[4]Bernie Shively has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .200.[4] Of the 36 different head coaches who have led the Wildcats, Bryant[6] and Jerry Claiborne[7] have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
Key
Coaches
Notes
^Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[8]
^A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
^Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[9]
^When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[10]
^Divisional champions have advanced to the SEC Championship Game since the institution of divisional play beginning in the 1992 season. Since that time, Kentucky has competed as a member of the East Division of the SEC.[11]
References
General
"Kentucky Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
Kentucky Football Media Guide (PDF). Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Athletics Department. 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
Specific
^ a b cKentucky Football Media Guide, p. 177
^"Mark Stoops hired by Kentucky". ESPN. November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
^Kentucky Football Media Guide, p. 141
^ a b c d eKentucky Football Media Guide, pp. 190–196
^"Mark Stoops". UK Athletics. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
^National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
^Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
^Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
^Harwell, Hoyt (November 30, 1990). "SEC sets division lineups". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1C. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
