Kentucky Appoints Oregon OC Stein as New Head Coach

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Kentucky Appoints Oregon OC Stein as New Head Coach

Kentucky has appointed Will Stein, previously the offensive coordinator at Oregon, as the school’s new head football coach. The hiring was confirmed on Monday.

Stein expressed his excitement about the opportunity, stating, “I’m honored and excited to become the next head coach at Kentucky. Growing up in Kentucky and sitting in the stands at UK games as a kid, I could only dream of one day leading the Wildcats. This is truly a dream come true.”

Contract Details

The Wildcats have secured Stein with a five-year contract. His appointment comes after the dismissal of long-time coach Mark Stoops, who led the team for 13 seasons.

Background and Career Achievements

At 36 years old, Stein is a Kentucky native who has gained recognition as one of the top offensive coordinators in college football. He has worked with several notable quarterbacks during his time at Oregon.

Stein coached two Heisman Trophy finalists: Bo Nix (2023) and Dillon Gabriel (2024).
Oregon finished the regular season with an impressive record of 11-1.
The team ranked sixth in the College Football Playoff standings.

Stein joined Oregon’s coaching staff in 2022, coming from UTSA where he served as co-offensive coordinator. Under his leadership, Oregon achieved top 10 scoring offense rankings in two out of three years.

Connection to Kentucky Football

Stein’s connection to Kentucky runs deep. Both his parents are alumni, and he regularly attended Wildcats games during his childhood. He played quarterback at Louisville from 2009 to 2012, making significant contributions to the team.

A key factor in his hiring is the potential synergy with promising redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley, a local talent who demonstrated his capabilities with 15 touchdown passes as a freshman. Keeping Boley at Kentucky is a priority for the new coaching staff.

Challenges Ahead

Stein steps into a critical role as Kentucky seeks to revamp its struggling offense. The Wildcats finished the recent season with a disappointing 5-7 record, following a 4-8 finish in 2024.

Historically, Kentucky has faced challenges on offense, failing to rank in the top 50 since 2021, and finishing no better than 100th in total offense in recent seasons. In 2025, the team’s average of 341 yards per game ranked just 105th nationally.

Stein’s Offensive Philosophy

Stein’s offense is designed to be dynamic and adaptable. “It’s hard to put a label on what we do [as an offense] because we kind of do it all,” Stein noted. His focus will be on building an aggressive yet flexible offensive strategy.