Former Kentucky assistant Mike Stoops joins Pete Golding's first Ole Miss staff

A former Kentucky assistant coach has found a new job. This one will be in the SEC but the role is currently unknown.

After a four-year stint at Kentucky, Mike Stoops is staying in college football at age 64. OM Spirt senior writer Zach Berry is reporting that the former Arizona head coach is joining the Ole Miss football program. His job title is currently unknown.

Ole Miss has added Mike Stoops to its staff. He was most recently ILB coach at Kentucky. The Iowa alum has made stops at Kansas State, Oklahoma, Alabama, FAU and was a head coach at Arizona for seven seasons. More here at @OMSpiritOn3

🔗 https://t.co/zhX5iyEDAC pic.twitter.com/8GlwofYqyc

— Zach Berry (@Zach_Berry) February 18, 2026

Mark Stoops hired his brother following the 2021 season to replace Jon Sumrall as inside linebackers coach. This came after Mark worked for his older brother for six seasons at Arizona from 2004-09. Mike Stoops had two stints as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma from 1999-03 and 2012-18 under his other brother Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley. The latter decide to dismiss Stoops during the 2018 season. Mike Stoops then moved to Alabama where he served as a defensive analyst for two seasons before becoming the Florida Atlantic defensive coordinator in 2021. Pete Golding was the defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa during Mike Stoops’ time with Nick Saban program. Now the two defensive coaches will reunite in Oxford after Golding was named the replacement for Lane Kiffin.

Odds are high that Mike Stoops will work in an analyst role this season. He will be a joining staff where former Kentucky wide receivers coach L’Damian Washington now works. Kentucky and Ole Miss do not play in 2026. UK will travel to Oxford in 2027 before the Rebels make a return trip to Lexington in 2029.

Where former Kentucky coaches landed this offseason

Coach	Position at Kentucky	New Organization	New Position
Bush Hamdan	Offensive Coordinator	Miami Dolphins	Quarterbacks
Brad White	Defensive Coordinator	Florida	Defensive Coordinator
Chris Collins	Defensive Backs	Florida	Safeties
L’Damian Washington	Wide Receivers	Ole Miss	Wide Receivers
Eric Wolford	Offensive Line	LSU	Offensive Line
Derek Shay	Tight Ends	Texas A&M	Tight Ends
Mike Hartline	Offensive Quality Control	South Florida	Quarterbacks
Chase Heuke	Director of Recruiting	Louisville	Director of Recruiting
Brad Lambert	Defensive Analyst	Marshall	Defensive Coordinator
Jay Boulware	Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs	West Virginia	Running Backs
Kevin Barbay	Offensive Analyst	Tulsa	Offensive Coordinator
Dean Hood	Director of Player Development	Marshall	Safeties
Nate Fuqua	Defensive Analyst/Outside Linebackers	Tulane	Co-Defensive Coordinator/Bandits
Mike Stoops	Inside Linebackers	Ole Miss	TBA