Kentucky hires Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as new coach of the Wildcats

By Canadian Press on December 1, 2025.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky has hired Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as their new coach, bringing home someone whose father played for the Wildcats and grew up watching them play himself.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart announced the hiring Monday night hours after Kentucky fired Mark Stoops, who had been the Southeastern Conference’s longest-tenured coach with 13 seasons with the Wildcats until Monday morning.

This will be the first head coaching job for Stein, 36. The Louisville native won three Kentucky high school titles at Trinity and walked on at Louisville to play quarterback. His father, Matt, played at Kentucky for coach Jerry Claiborne.

Stein has spent the last three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon, and the fourth-ranked Ducks (11-1) are waiting to learn their berth in the College Football Playoffs.

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The Associated Press