Kentucky Coach Will Stein Says He Will Win Big at SEC Media Days

Stein, who spent the previous three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Oregon, made the comment when asked why he believed he could succeed at Kentucky. He added that he knows what it takes to recruit at this level, having seen it at the highest levels, and that he refuses to wait for results.

Stein said he can recruit north, south and east, noting that people come to Lexington and love it.

He said the longer he lives there, the more he sees the place as incredible. He also said he has taken a blueprint from working under Oregon coach Dan Lanning, including aggressive recruiting and maximizing practice reps. Kentucky players described the energy Stein has brought.

" and that he is overflowing with confidence. Quarterback Kenny Minchey, who transferred to Kentucky from Notre Dame after initially committing to Nebraska, said the confidence has poured out into the rest of the team and coaching staff. Stein built a roster aimed at winning immediately.

Kentucky signed a top-10 transfer portal class that includes running backs CJ Baxter from Texas and Jovantae Barnes from Oklahoma, three all-conference offensive linemen, and 13 transfers on defense. The 2026 schedule includes games against Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

Stein, who played at Louisville, said he would not have taken the Kentucky job without believing he could win there.