By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Will Stein grew up watching and following Kentucky football and remembers the 1994 Peach Bowl, the 1998 Outback Bowl and the Bluegrass Miracle.
He’s been in the stands cheering for the Wildcats at Kroger Field and on the opposite sidelines playing for Louisville competing against the team he grew up admiring He attended Tubby Smith’s basketball camps and was a fan of Tayshaun Prince.
As he took the podium in his first press conference as coach of the Wildcats, Stein was speechless and still in awe following a 48-hour whirlwind that landed him his first head coaching job.
“I am honored is an understatement,” he said Wednesday at Nutter Fieldhouse. “I really don’t know what to say. I thought today was a dream. I thought yesterday was a dream. It’s just been an unbelievable, unbelievable last 24-48 hours.”
Stein admitted being in charge of his own program is one thing, but to do it at Kentucky is a new reality.
“It’s something that a coach can only dream of, to get his first head coaching job, and to do it at a place like the University of Kentucky, it really is truly a dream,” he said.
Stein has spent the past three seasons as Dan Lanning’s offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon and has a reputation as one of the top playcallers in college football.
He doesn’t intend to change that brand at Kentucky.
“We’re going to play an exciting brand of football,” Stein said. “That’s the only way I know how to do it. We’re going to take risks … Our offense, our plan, is to light up the scoreboard. Why not? I’ve seen it done here many a times.
“That’s the goal. It’s not easy. Football is not easy. Not meant to be easy. It’s the toughest game in the world played by tough men. I know doing it the right way, the way I’ve seen at the highest of levels in college football, it will be done here at Kentucky.”
When looking for a replacement for Mark Stoops, who was fired after 13 seasons on Sunday, Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart’s focus was to find an offensive-minded coach.
“The last time this job was open, our focus was more defensive-minded,” he said. “Our focus this time was a little bit different. I was very specifically trying to find ways to put points on the board. I don’t think that in today’s world, it’s really hard to win games in our league scoring 17 or 21 points a game.
“We’ve got to find a way to be where we’re lighting up the scoreboard as Will talked about. And so that was important to us to be able to try and find more of an offensive mindset to what we’re doing, and I think it’s good for our fans. Our fans are wanting that. They wanted to see us score some points and be more, I’ say be more successful at putting the ball on the end zone. So that was the focus. Will fits that scheme and that thought mindset extremely well.”
Stein believes he has all the tools in place to be successful at Kentucky.
“We’re a national brand,” he said. “We work in the best conference in the world. There’s no reason why we can’t be successful here. Zero. The excuses are done. It’s time to get to work. It will work. It does take work.
“I’ve won at every single level that I’ve been at: high school, college. Now the goal is to win here. Not to win five years down the road, 10 years down the road. Do it now. The way you do that is you work, right? Success is not free. Rent is due every day that we’re here. “
Barnhart is confident Stein can take the Wildcats to the next level and is anxious to follow Stein’s progression as a first-time head coach.
“I’m super fired up for him, about the way he is processing this thing and the energy he’s bringing,” Barnhart said. “I’m really excited about Will Stein and Darby and how their family are going to be here. I don’t want that to get lost on anybody. We can sit here and talk about all the nuances of college sports and all the things that we think we’re doing or not doing, and about all that today. It’s about him. It’s about him. It’s about a dude that’s fired up to be at Kentucky to lead our program, and I’m fired up for him, and I’m excited to have him.”