There’s an old saying that goes “life comes at you fast.” That’s certainly the case these days in college football. Coaches are fired, and a new one is hired in the blink of an eye. Take the Kentucky football program, for example. Not even 24 hours (14 hours and 35 minutes to be exact) after Mark Stoops was let go after 13 seasons, did the school have a replacement. Let’s introduce you to him and tell you about his Bluegrass roots as Kentucky hires Will Stein.
Oregon Offensive Coordinator Gets the Nod
“Feed The Studs”
The 36-year-old Stein comes to Kentucky after three years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon. Working with head coach Dan Lanning, the Ducks are known for their offensive firepower, and the results show.
So far in 2025, Oregon ranks ninth in the country in scoring at 38.2 points a game. In addition, they rank 13th in total yards, averaging 481 yards per contest. The Ducks finished the regular season 11-1 and are a lock to make the College Football Playoff for a second straight year. Stein plans on staying with the team until the playoffs are over.
Last season, they won the Big Ten regular season and league title. As a result, they were the number one seed before losing to eventual National Champion Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
As the title above suggests, Stein’s offensive philosophy is “Feed The Studs.” The idea is to get as many players involved as possible in the offense. The system certainly works as three running backs have rushed for more than 481 yards while six receivers have more than 23 receptions on the year.
Furthermore, quarterbacks have had great success under Stein. In three years, Oregon’s had two Heisman Trophy finalists. In 2023, Bo Nix finished third in the balloting, and last season while Dillon Gabriel also finished third. This season, Dante Moore is another Heisman contender who’s thrown for 2,733 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Stein’s track record with signal callers has to bode well for Cutter Boley, and priority one is keeping him here in 2026. A Kentucky quarterback of the future, Cincinnati Moeller’s Matt Ponatoski, appears very excited about the new hire.
Let’s work!!!! #BBN https://t.co/hiYg0IM3i6
— Matt Ponatoski (@mattponatoski) December 2, 2025
Let’s look at the new head man’s roots as Kentucky hires Will Stein.
Bluegrass Connection
A Louisville native, Stein grew up a Wildcat football fan. In fact, his family had season tickets in Section 128 Row 13 in Commonwealth Stadium. His father, Matt, played under Jerry Claiborne in the mid-1980s. He was a defensive end and two-year letterman on teams that played in back-to-back Hall of Fame Bowls.
Stein was a standout quarterback at perennial power Louisville Trinity. While there, the Shamrocks won three straight state titles, and he set the record for touchdown passes in a season with 54.
However, when it came time for college, Stein played at Louisville rather than Kentucky when he ended up not getting a walk-on position in Lexington. He played at Louisville from 2008-2012 before starting his coaching career with the Cards. Fast forward many years, and Stein gets to coach the team he grew up following.
Final Thoughts
For all the grief athletic director Mitch Barnhart gets from the Big Blue Nation, some of which is warranted, on paper, the hiring of Stein looks like a home run. He checks the boxes UK fans are looking for. A young, offensive-minded coach with Kentucky roots. In fact UK goes from having the longest tenured coach in the SEC to the youngest.
The Wildcats haven’t finished in the top 50 in offense since 2021, and this past season, they were 105th, averaging 341 yards per game. In addition, with National Signing Day coming on Wednesday, it was paramount that the school get a coach in place. Whether all the current recruits stay and who Stein might bring with him remain to be seen.
Thanks for checking out our look at the new man in charge of the football program as Kentucky hires Will Stein.
Main Image: Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
