New Kentucky head football coach Will Stein made a memorable initial impression in his first appearance at SEC Media Days on Monday.
Stein, 36, is taking over the Wildcats program after three seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon.
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During his three years running Dan Lanning’s offense, the Ducks ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in total offense, topped by finishing second during the 2023 season averaging 531 yards per game. More importantly, Oregon compiled a 38-5 record with a Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff berth while Stein was offensive coordinator.
As Stein demonstrated while speaking with reporters on Monday, that success makes him extremely confident about his future in Lexington. Asked why he feels he can win big at Kentucky, Stein paused before expressing a strong belief in himself.
“This is going to sound, like, really… I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “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.”
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That level of confidence in being able to win at a school traditionally associated with basketball success, rather than football, quickly drew comparisons to Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and his now-legendary answer to the question of how he sells his program to recruits.
“It’s pretty simple,” Cignetti said on Dec. 20, 2023. “I win. Google me.”
Just over two years later, the Hoosiers won the College Football Playoff national championship. Indiana was an afterthought on the gridiron throughout virtually all of the program’s history. Yet in two seasons, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to two CFP berths and a national title.
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Stein might have shown a similar level of self-confidence and belief in his philosophies while at the podium in Tampa, Florida. But is there any reasonable expectation that he can match Cignetti’s results at Kentucky, especially so quickly?
After saying that he believes the Wildcats will win because of him, Stein acknowledged that finishing among the top teams in the SEC might not happen immediately.
“Is it going to happen overnight? I don’t know,” he said. “I really don’t. If I had a crystal ball, everybody in this room would be really, really rich now.”
“There’s going to be bumps in the road,” Stein added. “I am prepared for tough moments and tough times.”
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However, the first-time head coach expressed a strong belief that “putting the ball down and playing football” would lead to good results, based on what he’s seen in his 14 years of coaching, which includes stints at Louisville, Texas and UTSA. Stein also played four seasons at Louisville as a backup quarterback. During his senior season, the No. 22 Cardinals went 11-2 and defeated No. 4 Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
Stein arguably has less of an uphill climb than Cignetti did at Indiana. Kentucky finished 5-7 last season and 4-8 in 2024. The Wildcats went 10-3 under coach Mark Stoops in 2021. That’s far better than the 3-9, 4-8 and 2-10 records that preceded Cignetti taking over in Bloomington. Yet Cignetti also had previous experience — and success — as a head coach at IUP, Elon and James Madison.
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Kentucky will quickly find out how it stacks up in the SEC with Alabama scheduled as the Wildcats’ second opponent this season and a visit to Texas A&M the following week. Those two games could present an immediate challenge to Stein’s confidence.
