ESPN grades Will Stein hire

The University of Kentucky Athletics program has been through quite a bit over the last several months. After parting ways with Mark Stoops, UK administration found itself searching for a new football coach for the first time in over a decade.

With heavy noise coming from all directions, it didn’t take long at all for UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart to peg the man he wanted for the job.

The hire of Oregon’s offensive coordinator and Kentucky native, Will Stein, has been met with overall optimism with a sniff of understandable reserve considering he’s never operated as a head coach, much less in the SEC.

For any Wildcats fans who may not be sold on the 36-year-old’s ability to put a competitive team on the field in the toughest football conference in America, take solace in the fact that the national sentiment greatly favors Stein.

Most recently, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg and Jake Trotter handed out their grades for the 16 most notable college football coach changes of late.

Buckle up for some really high praise for UK’s new head ball coach.

Will Stein’s grade checked in with an impressive A-, signaling a significant amount of confidence in the chances to make things work in Lexington.

In what ESPN labeled as “perhaps the wildest coaching cycle in college football history,” Rittenberg poured out his rationale for why Stein can be successful in the Commonwealth. The main sticking point is how deeply rooted his family is in the community.

“Stein loves Kentucky. He told me that when I visited Oregon recently. We were talking about the coaching carousel, jobs that had opened and potential openings, and he mentioned his connection to Kentucky. How both of his parents went there and that his dad, Matt, played defensive end for the Wildcats under coach Jerry Claiborne. Stein is from Louisville and played quarterback for the University of Louisville, Kentucky’s in-state rival, but grew up attending UK games. Despite other suitors in this cycle and likely in future ones, Stein had a desire to coach Kentucky, which really matters.” Rittenberg wrote.

What are the concerns for why things may not take off?

Much of what you’d expect. Upgrading talent and personnel while continuing to invest in resources that promote a culture of winning. The article mentions Stein’s connection to the University, potentially helping with donors, but only time will tell.

The big takeaway here for Kentucky football fans is that people who know football love the hire and seemingly won’t be surprised if Stein can come in and transform the program.

You can read the entire article here.