According to a report from On3, Kentucky football has found its next head coach. After firing Mark Stoops on Sunday night, the Wildcats are hiring Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.
Stein is from the state of Kentucky, but played quarterback for UK’s biggest rival, Louisville. From 2008-12, he threw a total of six touchdowns and two interceptions for the Cardinals.
This will be the first head coaching job Stein has ever held. He was a graduate assistant and quality control for Louisville out of college before being quality control at Texas, as well. After two years in the Texas high school ranks, he joined UTSA as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
In 2022, he was elevated to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Road Runners. He joined Oregon as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023. He is just 36 years old.
BREAKING: Kentucky is hiring Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, @PeteNakos & @clowfb report😼https://t.co/NEjXV6SXc4 pic.twitter.com/REMU95GtBd
— On3 (@On3sports) December 2, 2025
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Stoops was fired coming off a 5-7 season, rounded out by a 41-0 loss to Kentucky’s biggest rival, Louisville. He will be paid a buy-out of over $37 million, which will be paid out within the next 60 days.
Stoops was the longest-tenured coach in the SEC prior to the firing. He took over the Wildcats in 2013 following a 2-10 year under Joker Phillips.
Stoops’ best years were in 2018 and 2021, in which he finished 9-3 in the regular season with a Citrus Bowl victory. However, he lost to Tennessee, UK’s biggest SEC rival, in both seasons. These were in Jeremy Pruitt and Josh Heupel’s first seasons leading the Vols’ programs.
Kentucky’s 2021 team had its 10 wins vacated by the NCAA, though. It was deemed that UK played ineligible players that year. With those 10 wins off the table, he’ll finish 62-80 (25-68 SEC) in the NCAA record book as the Wildcats’ coach.
