For the first time in a long time, we have a Kentucky football coaching search on our hands. The last time the Wildcats were looking for a new head football coach, this website had two employees, and I was an intern writing 200-word posts from my frat house. Kentucky had an indoor practice facility that was shrunk by a track, which was a quarter-mile away from their locker rooms and outdoor practice fields. Paying players was taboo. Now, it’s legally sanctioned as the primary tool to build rosters. It had been 35 years since Big Blue Nation had experienced a 10-win season.
A lot changed for the better under Mark Stoops‘ watch, but it was time for that watch to end after 13 seasons (including two of the 10-win variety). The Wildcats had momentum at the dawn of the NIL era, then stalled out with consecutive losing seasons, capped off by losses to Vanderbilt and Louisville with a combined score of 86-17.
News leaked on Sunday night, and Mitch Barnhart made an official announcement on Monday morning. Now, we play the waiting game.
The Kentucky Sports Radio crew has been preparing for this moment. We’ll know how much Mitch Barnhart and his colleagues have prepared, based on how quickly this process unfolds. It’s going to be hectic, and we’ll hold your hand every step of the way.
When news breaks, the KSR Live Blog will have you covered. If you’re looking for more scuttlebutt and conversation about everything, KSBoard is the place to be. Members also have access to Rivals’ Cats Illustrated, the place where Jeff Drummond broke the news around 9:20 pm on Sunday night. The Cyber Monday sale is the best deal the bosses run all year, 50% off an annual subscription, and it’s conveniently timed up with a chaotic time around Big Blue Nation.
It’s a time for change around the Kentucky football program. We’ll keep you one step ahead with LIVE updates below.
Kentucky Football Hot Board 1.0
By:Nick RoushA Thank You to Mark Stoops12/01/2025 09:24:48 AM
We’ll have plenty more to say about Stoops’ accomplishments in Lexington, but for now, this will serve as the official salute from the school.
By:Nick RoushFlorio: Kentucky Players Believe Chip Kelly is the Next Coach12/01/2025 09:12:55 AM
Mike Florio works for NBC and is on Sunday night’s “Football Night in America.” When he’s not on TV, he posts on Pro Football Talk. His latest one is eye-opening.
“Word is circulating among Kentucky players that Kelly could be the team’s next head coach,” writes Florio. “That doesn’t mean he will be. It doesn’t even mean he’s an official candidate. It means only that Kentucky players have somehow developed the impression that Kelly could be the new coach.”
Consider the source before you read too much into this. Florio is in deep in the NFL rumor mill. He’s in so deep that our friends at Pardon My Take describe some of his work as “Florio Fan Fiction.” This rumor may be floating around NFL circles, with Raiders’ fans hoping it alleviates the buyout they owe him, but you shouldn’t take it to the bank.
Kelly was the UCLA head coach from 2018-23. He left on his own volition because of NIL demands of the position and became the Ohio State offensive coordinator. After helping the Buckeyes win a National Title, he served as Pete Carroll’s offensive play-caller in Vegas for 11 games.
Mike Florio’s Post on Pro Football Talk
By:Nick RoushRecent History Says This Will Move Fast12/01/2025 09:06:27 AM
The Coaching Carousel moves quickly, even after the SEC got five new head coaches on Sunday. Many might think that Kentucky got behind the 8-Ball, but we still expect Mitch Barnhart and the Kentucky administration to move quickly. Why? They’ve done it before.
Nobody could foresee John Calipari’s departure for Arkansas. The news became official on April 9. On the night of April 11, we learned Mark Pope would be the Wildcats’ next head coach. Keep your head on a swivel. Things happen quickly in coaching searches.
By:Nick RoushARCHIVES: Will Stein Grew Up Cheering for Kentucky12/01/2025 08:59:58 AM
You’ve heard that Will Stein spent his childhood cheering for the Kentucky Wildcats. It’s not just an old wives’ tale.
His father, Matt Stein, played defense for Jerry Claiborne when the Wildcats won at Tennessee in 1984. Like his son Will, he was a walk-on from Trinity who earned a scholarship. The family had season tickets, and before Will earned the start at quarterback for Louisville in 2011, he could recall those experiences vividly.
“So this is definitely special to me, going back to Commonwealth (Stadium). I spent a lot of games there,” he said. “I still know I was in section 128, row 13. … Obviously, now I’m not ‘for them’ at all.”
Even though he played at Louisville, Will Stein grew up in a Kentucky football family.
[2011 Herald Leader Article: Family of Louisville QB Blees Blue — Most of the time]
By:Nick RoushPositive Early Sign around Kentucky’s Candidates12/01/2025 08:34:07 AM
Jon Sumrall was BBN’s top choice to succeed Mark Stoops, but Kentucky was too late to the party. There’s a clear next two up: Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein and Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. You know how I know they’d be great fits? Their fans hate the thought of them leaving.
For Stein, it’s actually Louisville fans who are the most vocal. After all, he’s a former UofL quarterback who played locally at Trinity. When rumors swirled around Jeff Brohm and the vacancies at Florida and Penn State, their panic was settled down by the belief that they could get Stein to come home. They don’t want Stein to come home and wear Kentucky blue (even though that’s the color he wore as a kid).
As for Hartline, the top wide receiver coach in college football has been groomed to eventually replace Ryan Day. There was a time when it looked like that would happen sooner rather than later. He has not lost a game since last year’s loss to Michigan. With Day’s job secure, Hartline may be looking to make the next leap. Ohio State fans will scream online in all caps to keep his name out of your mouth.
Kentucky has two top candidates that bitter regional foes would hate to see in Lexington.