After news broke Sunday night that Kentucky was set to fire Mark Stoops, the university made it official Monday morning in a statement.

“I have informed Coach Mark Stoops that we have decided to go in a new direction at head coach,” Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said.

The move came after a 5-7 season where Kentucky was blown out by Louisville 41-0 to end its season.

Stoops departs the program the with the most wins by any coach in the history of the program.

“I want to thank Coach Stoops for his 13 years of service and leadership at the University of Kentucky. He helped lead the revival of this program and achieved historic results,” University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said. “We are deeply appreciative of what he accomplished with this program and with the support of a committed staff throughout UK Athletics, outstanding young men and an incredible fan base.”

Barnhart reiterated the same sentiment of thankfulness for Stoops as Capilouto and confirmed that the search was underway for a new coach.

He also commented on the vision for the future of the program.

“Kentucky Football is positioned for success. We will continue to make the necessary investments to recruit an elite head coach, players, and support staff,” Barnhart said. “That includes fully funding revenue-sharing and NIL opportunities, providing state-of-the-art facilities, and ensuring our student-athletes have every resource to thrive.”

Both men closed out their statements by sharing that the goal is to build a winning roster and compete in football.

All eyes were on Barnhart to make the move and now that he officially has, they will remain on him to see who he chooses for the next coach of Kentucky football.

The full statement can be found here.