Sitting at 6-1 and ranked in the No. 12 in the latest Associated Press poll, the University of Kentucky, a school known for basketball success, is the talk of college football. How are they doing it? Well, the credit instantly goes to first-year head coach Will Stein.
Will Stein Has Transformed Kentucky Into an Instant Contender
After proclaiming he would be the reason why Kentucky could contend nationally in football during his introductory press conference, Stein has already made history with early-tenure winning ways.
Winners of five-straight following a 45-17 Week 2 loss to Alabama, a brand regarded as a football “blue blood,” much the same way Kentucky is basketball wise, Kentucky is becoming tough to ignore as an SEC and even a national contender in 2026. And Stein’s winning steak and overall 6-1 mark through his first seven games at the helm already places him among the best in program history.
Stein Has Already Made Program History
Stein’s latest victory, a 21-13 win over Oklahoma, another established college football name, made him the first Kentucky head coach to ever win six of is first seven games on the job since Alpha Brumage did it a century plus ago in 1913.
To put what Stein is doing at Kentucky into proper perspective, Kentucky only has 12 bowl wins in 23 appearances all-time and hasn’t won a conference title since 1976, one that had to be retroactively awarded) years later.
Kentucky Has a Tough Schedule Remaining
But in order to fully deliver on his promise, Stein needs to keep winning. The 37-year-old Stein will lead the Wildcats against Vanderbilt on Saturday night before facing the three-straight currently ranked team in No. 11 Tennessee, No. 20 Florida, and No. 22 Missouri. The regular season finale even has Stein hoping to end strong against Louisville, Kentucky’s arch rival and where he played quarterback from 2008-12.
It won’t be easy, but Stein is also used to winning. Prior to arriving in Lexington, he served as Oregon‘s offensive coordinator for three seasons from 2023-25. He started his coaching career at Louisville in 2013 and stayed there until joining Texas in 2015 and then spent several years at UTSA with a stint at a prominent Texas high in school in between.
Will Stein Makes Kentucky History With Early-Tenure Success