# Stein takes over Kentucky football program after Stoops era ends **Published:** 2026-08-23T04:28:40.000Z **Source:** [NKY Tribune](https://nkytribune.com/2026/08/kentucky-turns-the-page-as-coach-will-stein-takes-over-for-secs-longest-tenured-coach/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/stein-takes-over-kentucky-football-program-after-stoops-era-ends Kentucky named Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as its new head football coach, bringing an offensive-minded leader with deep ties to the Bluegrass State to a program that finished 5-7 in 2025 and missed a bowl game for the second consecutive year, [according to reporting from NKY Tribune](https://nkytribune.com/2026/08/kentucky-turns-the-page-as-coach-will-stein-takes-over-for-secs-longest-tenured-coach/). Stein replaces Mark Stoops, who was fired after 13 seasons as the SEC's longest-tenured coach. Stoops compiled an 82-80 overall record and led the Wildcats to eight consecutive bowl games from 2016 through 2023, but consecutive losing seasons and a 41-0 season-ending loss to rival Louisville sealed his fate. The 36-year-old Stein is a Kentucky native whose father, Matt, played for the Wildcats from 1982-1984. Stein himself played quarterback at Louisville before his coaching career took him to UTSA and ultimately Oregon, where he earned a reputation as a quarterback developer and offensive innovator while helping the Ducks finish 11-1 and reach the College Football Playoff semifinals this past season. "I'm honored and excited to become the next head coach at Kentucky," Stein said. "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." Stein faces an immediate challenge: Kentucky has only six returning starters and lost 22 players in the offseason, forcing him to scour the transfer portal for reinforcements. The Wildcats brought in 45 new players, including more than 30 from the transfer portal. The new coach landed quarterback Kenny Minchey from Notre Dame, where he spent three seasons. "Very impressed with his football IQ, his intelligence, leadership, his poise," Stein said. "Ultimately the intangibles of playing the position, he's very accurate. Very accurate." Defensively, Kentucky returns five starters led by defensive backs Ty Bryant and Terhyon Nichols. Transfer cornerbacks Aaron Gates from Florida and Jordan Castell are expected to make immediate impacts on a secondary that lost several key contributors. Stein agreed to a five-year deal with the Wildcats and emphasized his focus on building a foundation. "It's not that it's just a hidden message," he said. "We obviously have goals and aspirations, but you have to master the mundane, the little things every single day to even give yourself a chance at those moments." The Wildcats' schedule includes matchups against Alabama on September 12, a road trip to Texas A&M on September 19, and a November 28 rivalry game against Louisville. ## Sources - [NKY Tribune](https://nkytribune.com/2026/08/kentucky-turns-the-page-as-coach-will-stein-takes-over-for-secs-longest-tenured-coach/) - [ESPN reporting on Stein's hiring and contract details](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47170877/kentucky-targets-oregon-oc-stein-coaching-job) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from NKY Tribune, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nkytribune.com/2026/08/kentucky-turns-the-page-as-coach-will-stein-takes-over-for-secs-longest-tenured-coach/.