This story was updated following the University of Kentucky’s announcement Monday night via a press release that Stein had been named head coach.

Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein will be the next head coach at the University of Kentucky, several outlets reported Monday. On3 Sports first reported the story. With No. 6 Oregon waiting on the final College Football Playoff rankings to confirm its postseason berth, Stein, “plans to coach in the CFP,” per the school’s official press release.

Stein, who was hired by head coach Dan Lanning before the 2023 season, takes his first role as a head coach in the state where he was born. The Wildcats fired former head coach Mark Stoops this weekend after a 41-0 loss to Louisville ended a 5-7 season. Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel and later confirmed by the program, Stein is, “expected to call Oregon’s offense throughout the College Football Playoff.”

“I’m honored and excited to become the next head coach at Kentucky,” Stein said in the release.

Stein’s offense, which prioritized playmakers and buoyed quarterbacks and future NFL Draft picks Bo Nix (2023) and Dillon Gabriel (2024) to Heisman Trophy finalist selections, kept moving with redshirt sophomore Dante Moore in 2025 as the Ducks finished the regular season 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten) and seem locked for a first-round College Football Playoff home game in late December.

Lanning hired Stein from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he spent 2019-2022 in multiple roles, eventually as the co-offensive coordinator in 2022. UTSA was ranked 25th in the final 2022 College Football Playoff rankings, which remains the only time the Roadrunners have finished a season ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25.

At Oregon, Stein was hired after Lanning’s first offensive coordinator, Kenny Dillingham, left for the head post at Arizona State University. In Eugene, he built an offense that helped the Ducks climb into a Pac-12 Conference Championship Game appearance in 2023, a Big Ten Championship in 2024 and a likely second-straight College Football Playoff appearance in 2025.

This season, Oregon is ninth nationally in scoring offense and 13th in total offense. The Ducks will learn their College Football Playoff path following conference championship weekend, with the final set of rankings set to be revealed Dec. 7.

This is a breaking story, and may be updated.