C.L. Brown, Louisville Courier JournalTue, December 2, 2025 at 1:52 AM UTC·2 min readKentucky football missed on getting the perfect fit for its program, but it still got the right one with reports that Will Stein will become its next head coach.
Stein has been the offensive coordinator for Oregon, which is headed to the College Football Playoff for a second straight season, for the past three seasons. Kentucky tapped the former Trinity High School and Louisville quarterback to replace Mark Stoops, whose firing was announced Monday after 13 seasons at the helm.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStein is the right replacement for the Wildcats considering his father, Matt, was a walk-on at UK who played from 1982-84. The family had season tickets to Kentucky football games, and Stein grew up wanting to follow in his dad's footsteps and play in Lexington.
He would play there, but it was nothing like he pictured as a kid. Stein started for the Cardinals in their 24-17 win in 2011 at UK.
"2011 against Kentucky was super memorable just because I grew up a die-hard Kentucky fan," Stein said when he was a guest on The C.L. Brown Show podcast before the 2024 season. "At Commonwealth (Stadium), throwing a touchdown pass to Andrell Smith — and then everything that transpired in that game — getting hurt, Teddy (Bridgewater) going in — that’s memorable to me."
UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart just hired the anti-Lane Kiffin, who won't be steady looking for the next opportunity upon his arrival on campus. Having an authentic and genuine love for the university is a bonus trait in a new head coach, but Stein isn't the only one who fit that category.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJon Sumrall, a former UK linebacker who has been a successful head coach at Troy and Tulane, had all the makings of the next Wildcats coach. He was just hired at Florida on Sunday.
Stein's résumé and pedigree is almost as polished. The only difference is he's never been a head coach before, but he has been wildly successful in his role as an offensive coordinator.
This column will be updated.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Will Stein is win for Kentucky football coaching search
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