5 burning questions facing Will Stein as the new Kentucky Wildcats head coach

The easy part is over. Will Stein has signed the contract, shaken hands, and will soon take the photos. Now, the real work begins for the next Kentucky football head coach.

Transitioning from a coordinator to an SEC head coach is a massive leap, and the to-do list is already a mile long. Here are the five biggest questions BBN will be watching over the next month.

1. Who stays and who goes?

The transfer portal waits for no one. Stein needs to re-recruit the current roster immediately. His first meeting with talented freshman quarterback Cutter Boley will be pivotal. All we know right now is that Boley is considering his options.

Player retention will determine the floor and ceiling of the 2025 season.

2. Who will replace Brad White?

Defensive Coordinator Brad White is well-respected, but his unit struggled down the stretch. Stein faces a massive decision on who the replacement will be after White accepted a job as the next Florida defensive coordinator. That means Kentucky will have two new coordinators next season and someone different calling the defense for the first time since 2019. With Mark Stoops being a defensive-minded head coach, that benefited White. The next hire will have complete control of the defense.

3. Who joins the staff?

This might be the most critical task of Year 1. Stein needs assistants who know the SEC landscape and can recruit at an elite level. They also need to be able to help him with the day-to-day operations as a head coach. Expect some veteran voices to be on the sideline with him. Can he pull heavy hitters from Oregon, or will he look elsewhere?

So far, UTSA offensive coordinator Justin Burke is the only confirmed coach to join Stein’s staff. The two played together at Louisville and coached together at UTSA.

4. Will Stein call the plays?

Stein is an elite play-caller, but being a head coach requires managing the entire game. Will he keep the headset on, or will he delegate play-calling duties to focus on game management? It’s a delicate balance for first-time head coaches. It will be interesting to see which he chooses. Even though Stein has reportedly brought on Justin Burke to be the new OC, it’s unclear if Burke or Stein will call plays.

5. How fast can he stabilize recruiting?

With early signing day looming, the 2025 class is vulnerable. There are only 14 total commits right now, Stein has to hit the phones, salvage the current commits, or let them go, and then hit the portal wide open for immediate reinforcements.

Kentucky has its leader. Now we find out how quickly he can build his army. He’s certainly off to a good start, as 4-star QB commit Matt Ponatoski is expected to sign with the Wildcats on Wednesday. He originally planned to wait until February to sign, so this is a massive win for Stein and the Cats.

Do you expect Will Stein to be a success at Kentucky?

Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion