7-1, won 6 straight, on track for 9-3 in the regular season.
Sat Nov 7, 6:15 pm ET 
· No. 16 Tennessee is 6-2 · First meeting between Stein and Josh Heupel as head coaches · Kentucky’s chance to win: 39% (the site’s model)
We have complete buy-in”
Will Stein on how Kentucky football avoids letdowns (Video)
It’s still about growth and improvement”
Will Stein on Kentucky football’s bye week (Video)
USA TodayBasketball never sleeps in Kentucky. Will Stein just made it take a napTue Nov 3
Yahoo SportsCan Will Stein solve Jim Knowles again? Kentucky HC previews Tennessee road testTue Nov 3Yahoo SportsWill Stein’s Neyland debut brings Kentucky Football history full circleSun Nov 1
Sports IllustratedWill Stein reaffirms that Kentucky is his dream jobTue Oct 27
On3College Football Playoff Rankings Reaction: Will Stein Makes His Kentucky DebutTue Nov 3On3Todd McShay backs Will Stein as best coach to maximize potential transfer QBs including Arch Manning, othersMon Nov 2
Saturday Down SouthWill Stein comments on upcoming Tennessee matchup entering the bye weekWed Oct 28Saturday Down SouthWill Stein names toughest challenge from first months at KentuckyWed Oct 28
A to Z Sports'We don't talk about it' — Kentucky coach Will Stein dodges an uncomfortable reality about playing TennesseeTue Nov 3
Knoxville News SentinelWhy miscues could cost Tennessee football vs disciplined Kentucky, Will SteinTue Nov 3
Rocky Top InsiderWhat Kentucky Football HC Will Stein Said to Preview Game at TennesseeTue Nov 3Kentucky plays 3 ranked teams out of the next 4.
Wildcats #6 in first CFP rankings! Will Stein is the best coach of all time!
Watch Party Boston Anyone going to be watching this weekend in Boston downtown? Looking to get a watch party going for this game.
Fan mood · last 3 weeks · more upbeat than 3 in 4 FBS fan bases
39%50%Percent: Kentucky’s chance to win, from the site’s model. Records are through today. Networks as announced; the rest are set closer to kickoff.
Where Kentucky stood among 138 FBS programs by stature after each game (1st is the highest; the CFB Zeitgeist ledger).
Yahoo Sports“We have complete buy-in”Will Stein on how Kentucky football avoids letdowns (Video), Oct 25Sports Illustrated“We have complete buy-in”Will Stein on how Kentucky football avoids letdowns (Video), Oct 25Yahoo SportsSports IllustratedYahoo SportsYahoo SportsEach week as this page showed it at the time. Weeks marked rebuilt came before this page existed: they were built afterward from only what was known by the end of that week.
Watch the biggest plays from Kentucky’s games, ranked by how much each moved the chance to win.
This winter
Our poach model, on his record so far, the win chances for every game he has left, his program, his pay and his background. Ranked against the 132 FBS head coaches this season. The zone words describe the market’s interest; none of them says he is leaving.
The biggest factors in his profile, each against the typical FBS head coach today. The games he has left are priced into the number, not listed here.
Tested on every FBS head coach from 2012 through 2025, each season scored by a model fit only on the seasons before it. From three games on, given one coach who left for a head-coaching job elsewhere or an NFL coordinator job and one who stayed, it ranked the one who left ahead 79 to 82% of the time; in a season’s first two games, 78%. Its average chance came within a point of the share who actually left. It counts a move a coach makes while he still holds the job; when his school ends it, that doesn’t count, even if another school then hires him.
Will Stein you mad man lolKentucky fan
Stein better fire the defense up during halftimeKentucky fan
Will Stein and Lane Kiffin mind games are stressing me out. It’s like watching a civil war battle.Kentucky fan
I LOVE YOU WILL STEINKentucky fan
Embarrassing that at one point Stein wasn't even sure that Patterson would be getting touches this seasonKentucky fan
If Will Stein told me to nair my balls I wouldn’t ask why… That’s how much I trust his judgement.Kentucky fan
I am really glad that the broadcast is doing a great job of letting me know exactly what Will Stein looks like at a given momentKentucky fan
Nobody can say Stein isnt confident with his remarks at multiple press conferences. Gotta back it up now thoKentucky fan
Sat Nov 7: Tennessee
30th of 104 FBS head coaches · from many outlets and r/CFB
Kentucky head coach Will Stein offers early thoughts on Tennessee
Rocky Top Talk +1 Oct 29 · a few outlets
Roster talk is up: several stories in the last two weeks, from several stories the two weeks before.
The headlines for each topic are on the News tab.
from dozens of outlets and r/CFB
Kentucky's Will Stein Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week - Peach Bowl
Nation of Blue +2 Sep 21 · a few outlets
The headlines for each topic are on the News tab.
Could another school hire him? What has he said?
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.
ATS is his record against the spread: did his team beat the closing betting line, winning by more than it or losing by less? Lines start in 2013; a dash means fewer than 6 of those games had one. One-score games carry no spread record: a big favorite that wins a close game has almost always failed to cover, so that number would say nothing about the coach.
Tags describe each game; they aren’t scores. The weighting that picks these games is still being tested.
Where each stint’s offense sat between run-first and pass-first, and how far it moved from one season to the next, against the FBS-wide average of 41% pass. The band is that stint’s real season-to-season range, not a fixed-width box.
Three numbers on how he actually stocks a roster, from signing day to draft day.
No class below is fully his yet — every one was inherited or signed mid-transition, so none counts toward a verdict.
Transition — he was hired mid-cycle
Rank is each signing class’s national recruiting rank (#1 is best). Only a class he had a full signing cycle to build counts as his; inherited and mid-transition classes still show here, faded, but stay out of the average.
of his 2026 roster arrived on his watch — 63 of 115 players. The other 52 are holdovers from before he was hired.
Of his own players on this roster, 43% came through the transfer portal; the rest are non-portal arrivals (high-school signees, JUCO transfers, walk-ons).
Everyone he has brought in, 2026–2026Counting players who have since left: 43% of the 63 arrivals we can classify came through the portal.
“His own” means the player arrived while he was head coach; “inherited” means a predecessor brought him in.
is his biggest recruiting state: 3 of 20 signees (15%) across his 2026–2026 tenure, drawn from 13 states in all. Next: KY (3).
25% of his signees come from AL and its 4 border states (FL 1, GA 1).
The map counts signed recruits across his tenure; the distance figures cover his current roster, transfers and walk-ons included. Two different groups, kept separate on purpose.
Headlines, grouped by what they are about. Each is the outlet’s own.
Press conference and quotes
Rocky Top InsiderWhat Kentucky Football HC Will Stein Said to Preview Game at TennesseeNov 3A to Z Sports'We don't talk about it' — Kentucky coach Will Stein dodges an uncomfortable reality about playing TennesseeNov 3Game preview
Rocky Top InsiderHow Jim Knowles, Will Stein’s Previous Matchups Went Ahead of Tennessee-Kentucky This SaturdayNov 1Knoxville News SentinelWhy miscues could cost Tennessee football vs disciplined Kentucky, Will SteinNov 3Yahoo SportsCan Will Stein solve Jim Knowles again? Kentucky HC previews Tennessee road testNov 3Press conference and quotes
247Sports +1Will Stein addresses general manager turnoverAug 3247Sports +1Will Stein says Kentucky will be ‘full-strength’ for Alabama matchupSep 8Sports Illustrated +1Will Stein discusses what challenges Texas A&M will present on SaturdaySep 16
A Sea Of Blue +1Will Stein discusses Kentucky Football bringing back Power K vs. LSUOct 6Win
Sports Illustrated +1Three reasons Will Stein and the Kentucky Wildcats will upset #12 AlabamaSep 10Game preview
CBS SportsKentucky's Will Stein encourages Wildcats fans to 'sneak a flask' into game vs. No. 12 AlabamaSep 10A Sea Of Blue +1Will Stein makes Kentucky Football history in win vs. South CarolinaOct 4A to Z Sports +1LSU vs. Kentucky game predictions: Can LSU and Lane Kiffin stay on track, or will Kentucky continue their hot start under Will Stein?Oct 8A to Z Sports +1Kentucky head coach Will Stein makes it clear how he feels about Tennessee ahead of matchup against the VolsOct 28On311 Personnel with Will Stein: Removing Red and Preparing for the 2026 Kentucky Football SeasonAug 3Profile and feature
Sports Illustrated +1Three Kentucky football players who will be crucial for Will Stein's year one successAug 26CBS SportsWill Stein era begins as Kentucky hosts Youngstown StateSep 5A Sea Of Blue +1Will Stein’s Neyland debut brings Kentucky Football history full circleNov 1Conference and schedule
Nation of Blue +2Kentucky's Will Stein Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week - Peach BowlSep 21Sports Illustrated +1Will Stein calls South Alabama the best team in the Sun Belt ConferenceSep 23247Sports +1Will Stein expresses support for 24 team College Football PlayoffOct 21Sports IllustratedThe National Media doesn't seem to think Will Stein and Kentucky will make a Bowl GameAug 22Yahoo SportsJosh Pate Doesn't Hold Back on Oregon's Ranking After Will Stein's Big DaySep 21Quarterback and depth chart
A Sea Of Blue +1Kenny Minchey had his best game as the Kentucky QB vs. Vanderbilt, says Will SteinOct 25On32028 Intel: Will Stein is turning Kentucky into a quarterback destination one class at a timeAug 1
Barstool SportsOne Of Us: Will Stein Already Hates Louisville So Much He Banned Any Red From Being In Kentucky's Football Building, Including The QB Practice JerseysAug 5I was a little scared, but guess what? Our head coach Will Stein said, ‘If you’re scared, go to church,’
I love Will Stein; he’s doing great. We’ve never gone all the way before like this.
It’s about finishing
Every child deserves to feel safe, supported and loved and we are proud to help advance that mission alongside the dedicated people at Golisano Children’s at UK. We are grateful to everyone whose generosity is making a difference in these children’s lives
Sam’s getting better every day
Stats are for losers, this is one of those games
It’s not just getting the right players, but the right people in here with the right characteristics, grit, toughness, accountability, connection
That’s what great teams do, they find ways to win. They refuse to lose, and that’s what our guys did tonight
Whenever you can win on the road in the SEC, it gives you a lot of confidence
Just like sometimes a quarterback misses a read on a mesh, a kicker unfortunately misses those, they’re big moments
I thought the response from Adam to go out there and make a game-tying kick once you miss two and when both of them are very makeable, that showed a lot of resolve by him
He was just literally banging kicks through all fall camps… Adam has done an elite job so far
At kicker, no, I don’t plan on doing anything. I think he made a big kick at the beginning of the game, made a big kick at the end of the game, he’s made a 52-yarder on the road
If you don’t believe in what we’re doing, man, you must be high
It wasn’t pretty, was far from a pretty game, that’s the SEC, it’s the closest thing to the NFL. It comes down to last plays, last possessions
I think everybody could tell it was hard for us to stop Sellers towards the end, we were wearing down
That’s the life of a kicker. You got everybody watching you on those kicks and it was unfortunate that he missed two. But he hit a really big one
It really doesn’t do anything to us, we control what we can and Shane’s got to take care of his team just like I got to take care of mine
I just go back to our preparation and our practice and what we do on a day-by-day basis to get our guys ready for these moments
It’s still a football game, and if you let the crowd or the atmosphere dictate how you play, I think that’s when you can become emotional
That was not our standard, if you think for one second that’s the standard of play here at Kentucky, then you’re wrong
If you do not show up on any given Saturday, you will get beat. So we cannot turn the ball over on offense, we cannot have special teams turnovers
It doesn’t really mean much, what’s going to mean more to me is how we play this Saturday in Columbia
Continuing to improve, that’s a sign of a good program, a good football team. Do you get better each week
I felt like we improved in spots this past game, but not where I wanted it to be.
Last week’s theme was all about being the eye of the storm, this week, it’s all about starting the fire
We talked about being the eye of the storm, man, we are the fucking storm
Next play, one play focus
The more physical team won the game
It’s what I expect us to do, that’s the grit that I expect us to play with every single Saturday
You could easily look at the statistics and say, well, they scored 45. They did, they deserved to win today
I want them in there 45 to 30 minutes before, in their seat, standing up, screaming obscenities
Sneak a flask in, do whatever you’ve got to do, get your drinks ready
I don’t worry about it, I really don’t. I just worry about my team and what we can control
I think emotions get you beat. I think it’s about playing each play and being really dialed in and focused
We’ve got to be there early. We’ve got to be in the stands early. We’ve got to be in there during pregame warmups, pack Kroger Field
When you practice a certain way, when you prep a certain way, when you have great players, it’s supposed to look like that… I want our guys to play that standard and play Kentucky football, and that was the main focus
He was one of the players from last year’s roster that we had to retain… another player from last year’s team, I had to keep
I’m not going to let weather or heat play a factor into why it might look a certain way, because ultimately, this is going to be the temperature for the first game
I mean, it’s TBD. You know as much as I do
That’s all on him. Like, I can’t guide him in any way
We have an entire department dedicated to personnel, to acquiring talent and evaluating talent
You just got to believe, man
Everything’s driven through social media . You got to have a presence on there, and not because it’s cute or fancy, but that’s where all the recruits are looking, and that’s ultimately what matters
This is going to sound like really… I think because of me, to be honest
I know the players that we can get here. I know we can recruit north, south and east
I am (Big Blue Nation). I grew up 18 years of my life as an absolute diehard Kentucky fan
I do consider myself as psychotic as Big Blue Nation, because I am one of them
I’m very excited about Kenny
I’m very impressed with (Minchey’s) football IQ, his intelligence, leadership, his poise
I’m very impressed with CJ, just from a mentality standpoint, what he’s brought to our offense, a veteran leadership, a guy that’s played at a really high level
Bo has crazy talent
This is going to sound like, really… I think of me, to be honest. Because of me
Is it gonna happen overnight? I don’t know
I think we can win here because of me.
If you’re scared, go to church, bro . Come on
I got emotional running out of the tunnel
I want to get dressed in our locker room over there, you know? Before the game
You never know who is in the stands. We are close (in proximity) to a lot of (programs)
Because, I mean, shoot, you can go on YouTube and look up spring football games around the country watch what spring ball look like on other schools. … That’s why we wanted to keep it really simple. The playbook was minimal on both offense and defense.
If there’s a current strength to our offense, it’s the offensive line
I think it took a lot of people by surprise
I’ve never called a play where I didn’t think we would score a touchdown
Hired into programs rated 33 to 33 (National Program II tier). Rough match, not calibrated yet — ranked on what the job inherited alone. Coaches hired into this same job aren’t used as comps.
The arc of his career is on Now.
Followed Mark Stoops (2013–2025).
Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits younger transfers than most — more of a development bet.
Offensive coordinator across 2 programs, 3 stints, before and after wearing the head-coach hat — every season measured on the same axis, whether he personally ran the unit or someone else did.
How to read this. Coordinator seasons come from our coordinator career records; head-coaching-era seasons are the same unit's FBS-relative percentile for those years, regardless of who coached it, read directly from the staff assignments record. A role change (a “hinge”) is a fact, never a performance verdict — only the season-by-season data itself is colored by outcome.
