Top Assistant Leaves For Rival
The 2024 Kentucky football season was certainly one to forget. Mark Stoops’ club went 4-8 overall and 1-7 in SEC play. That included a blowout loss to Louisville in the season finale. It was the first loss in the Battle For The Governor’s Cup since 2017. As a result, the Cats missed the postseason for the first time since 2015. Expectations aren’t very high heading into the upcoming season, both by the media and the Big Blue Nation. Now it looks like the UK head man will be without his top assistant going forward. Let’s break it all down as Vince Marrow leaves Kentucky for Louisville.
Taking A New Position
ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news Monday afternoon that Marrow was heading up Interstate 64 for a job on the Cardinal coaching staff.
Sources: Kentucky associate head coach Vince Marrow is expected to become the general manager of the Louisville football program, as he’s finalizing a three-year deal there. He’ll oversee roster management, recruiting and the NCAA transfer portal. pic.twitter.com/HdIfXEHONF
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 9, 2025
Marrow joins Jeff Brohm’s staff as the program’s General Manager. What that entails is he’ll oversee roster management, recruiting, and the transfer portal for the Cards. It’s a reported three-year deal for Marrow.
For years, the UL head man wanted him on his staff, going back to his days at Purdue. However, Marrow stayed loyal to Stoops and Kentucky until now. An interesting wrinkle in this development is that he likely avoids having to pay a buyout. According to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones, Marrow pays a buyout if he takes another assistant job. The GM job isn’t considered a coaching staff position.
A Master Recruiter
Marrow leaves Kentucky after 12 seasons as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Furthermore, he became the associate head coach in 2019. During his time in Lexington, he became an ace recruiter, setting up a pipeline from Ohio to Kentucky as many of UK’s top players came from the Buckeye State.
The Wildcats’ classes were ranked consistently in the top 30 every year and included many high four-star prospects. That level of player has never been seen in Kentucky recruiting. The 2025 class ranked 29th in the nation according to 247 Sports. Five of the players in the class are from Ohio.
However, the 2026 class currently has only two players, neither from Ohio. In addition, five of the top eight players from Kentucky have chosen the Cards. That’s a big change from previous years when UK dominated in state recruiting. Coincidence, you can make your own conclusion.
Final Thoughts
Rick Pitino left the Kentucky basketball program and then ended up coaching at Louisville. However, there was a four-year gap in between. In Marrow’s case, there doesn’t appear to have ever been a coach go directly from one to the other. He was a beloved figure in Kentucky football. It’s going to be tough seeing him on the other sideline on November 29th.
For a program that’s already considered down, Marrow’s leaving is certainly a gut punch. For years, he’s been offered jobs but has remained loyal to Stoops. You may remember he was offered a job on Bill Belichick’s staff at North Carolina but turned that down. It was reported that after last season, he was considering a move to Louisville. Many months later, he made the move. Stoops must find someone who can recruit on Marrow’s level, which is going to be difficult. Furthermore, he’s going to have to be more “motivated” than ever.
Main Image: Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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