The respected Oregon offensive coordinator will take over the Wildcats. Chris Pietsch / The Register-Guard via Imagn Images
Kentucky named Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as its next head football coach, the school announced Monday.
Stein will replace Mark Stoops, who was officially fired Monday morning, two days after a 41-0 loss to Louisville. Stoops left Kentucky as the winningest coach in program history.
Stein, a Louisville native and former Louisville Cardinals quarterback, has spent the past three seasons at Oregon. The 36-year-old has directed one of the top offenses in the country with three different quarterbacks, including Dillon Gabriel last year with an undefeated regular season and Big Ten title, and this year with Dante Moore for an 11-1 Ducks team that will make the College Football Playoff.
“Will Stein brings an outstanding track record of developing elite quarterbacks and leading some of the most dynamic and successful offenses in college football,” Kentucky director of athletics Mitch Barnhart said in a statement. “His deep connection to Kentucky, having grown up attending games in our stadium, gives him a unique passion for this program and this community.”
While Stein went to Louisville, he grew up a big Kentucky fan and attended many Wildcats games as a kid, as his dad was a former Kentucky player.
“I’m honored and excited to become the next head coach at Kentucky,” Stein said in a statement Monday. “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.”
Dec 2, 2025
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