The Kentucky football coaching search has reportedly come to an end.
Less than 24 hours after UK parted ways with longtime coach Mark Stoops, the Wildcats are planning to hire Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein for the role. That’s according to a report from On3’s Chris Low and Pete Nakos.
Stein has deep ties to the area as he played quarterback for Louisville during his playing career.
Stein, 36, immediately becomes one of the youngest head coaches in college football. He’s been on Oregon’s staff under Dan Lanning since 2023. He’s had a rapid ascension up the coaching ranks, as Stein was the head coach at Lake Travis High School (Texas) as recently as 2019.
Over the past few years, Stein has been regarded as one of the top offensive minds in all of college football. The former Louisville player has led top offenses at both UTSA and Oregon. Now, he gets his first crack as a college head coach in 2026.
The timing is important for Kentucky, as the Early Signing Period for 2026 high school recruits begins on Wednesday.
Oregon is set to earn an at-large berth for this year’s College Football Playoff. It remains to be seen whether Stein will continue to call plays for the Ducks through their CFP run or if he will immediately head to Lexington to begin the next phase of his career.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
