Most coaches at SEC Media Days don’t want to make too big of a splash. Instead, you get calculated answers with the desire to provide minimal headlines outside of generic coach-speak propping up the team.
While it was certainly still a calculated decision, Kentucky football head coach Will Stein made a bold statement that grabbed the conference’s attention. When asked why he thinks he can win big at UK, he backed up his decision with confidence.
“This is going to sound like really… I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “I think ’cause of me. I think I know what it takes. I have seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level. You just got to believe, man. You just got to put the ball down and play. There’s really nothing else to be said.
“Is it going to happen overnight? I don’t know. I really don’t. If I had a crystal ball, everybody in this room would be really, really rich now. The best determination of what you’re doing is working is putting the ball down and playing football.”
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Stein, who enters his first year as the Wildcats’ head coach, grew up in Kentucky and is plenty familiar with the program. Through a mixture of what he’s learned since taking the job and his background, he feels like the recruiting area, city of Lexington and more lend themselves to a chance to win big.
“Growing up a fan is great,” Stein said. “It’s one thing. I know the players that we can get here. I know we can recruit north, south and east. People come to Lexington and love it. The longer I live there, the more I am like, wow, this place is incredible. It’s got everything that you want. It’s great food, nightlife, community, university. It’s safe. Big Blue Nation. I takes some TLC. You have to go attack. You can’t sit back and wait. That’s one thing I refuse to do at Kentucky is to wait.
“I’m really excited about our administration, the direction that it’s going. Again, I said I was so fired up that Mitch brought me here. I’m also excited about what the future holds. That’s why I’m excited. That’s why I believe. Or else I wouldn’t have taken the job. I would have stayed at Oregon, coached Dante (Moore), stayed out there.”
If Stein can lead Kentucky to true title contention, it’d be a dramatic turnaround. In program history, the Wildcats claim just the 1950 national title and just two SEC titles, one in 1950 and another retroactively awarded for the 1976 season.
UK hasn’t had success against its top in-conference rival, either. Tennessee leads the series against Kentucky 86-26-9, featuring a current five-game win streak under Josh Heupel. This year, the Vols and Wildcats will meet in Neyland Stadium on Nov. 7, 2026, between 6-8 p.m. ET.
