Will Stein announces hiring of Jay Bateman from Texas A&M as new Kentucky DC
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Kentucky has made its hiring of Jay Bateman as defensive coordinator official. The program announced the hiring on Wednesday with quotes from Bateman and head coach Will Stein.
“Jay Bateman is one of the most respected defensive minds in college football,” Stein said in a statement released via Kentucky. “His ability to develop players, create disruptive defenses, and consistently compete at a high level has stood out everywhere he’s been. Jay brings energy, experience, and a clear vision for how we want to play defense, and we’re excited to welcome him to Kentucky.”
RELATED: Texas A&M DC Jay Bateman explains why he’s leaving for same title at Kentucky
Bateman comes to Kentucky having spent the past 4 seasons in the SEC. He was on staff at Florida as inside linebackers coach in 2022 and ’23 before heading to Texas A&M as defensive coordinator.
“In 2023, I was coaching at Florida, and we came up to Kentucky and they beat the brakes off of us,” Bateman said via UK. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow! This is an incredible place.’ With Will Stein being one of the brightest young stars in the profession, it was a major reason I would leave Texas A&M. I’m excited to work with one of the sharpest head coaches in the country.”
Bateman is currently still in College Station with the Aggies, who are gearing up to host Miami in the College Football Playoff First Round on Saturday.
Welcome to #BBN, @CoachBateman
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) December 17, 2025
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Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
