'Dream come true;' Will Stein opens up about Kentucky job

It was only a matter of time before Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein became a head coach in college football.

Monday was the day, as he was officially hired by the Kentucky Wildcats to be their next head football coach. It's a special place for Stein, who grew up in Kentucky and played for the Louisville Cardinals.

After the hiring was made official, Stein was quoted by On3 Sports' Pete Nakos, driving home the reasoning for taking the job.

"Growing up in Kentucky and sitting in the stands at UK games as a kid, I could only dream of one day leading the Wildcats," Stein said. "This is truly a dream come true."

Stein was the mastermind behind three standout years of Ducks offensive production, spanning from 2023-2025. He was a huge component to the development of quarterbacks Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. The former two are already in the NFL, with Moore soon to be an early first-round pick when he decides to declare.

The Kentucky job was opened up with the firing of Mark Stoops, also on Monday. Stoops went 82-80 in 13 seasons as the Wildcats' head man, highlighted by a pair of double digit win seasons in 2018 and 2021. The program managed just nine total wins over the past two seasons however, leading to Stoops' firing.

Now Stein will step in, hoping to turn around the Kentucky program and realize a dream of his.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Will Stein opens up about taking Kentucky head coaching job