There is a reason why Will Stein jumped at the opportunity to be the next head coach at the University of Kentucky.
He orchestrated one of the most explosive offenses in America over three seasons at Oregon, which included a couple of appearances in the College Football Playoff. Stein’s resume also includes a Heisman Trophy finalist. Even though he’s young, that rap-sheet would allow him to hand-pick his first job.
Stein chose Kentucky. Why? It’s not just because he’s from the state and grew up cheering for the Wildcats. Simply put, he believes he can make Kentucky a winner. He’s explained it many times before, but has never articulated as well as he did in the new “Go To Work” documentary with Dan Casey and Seth Howard. The full quote:
“Big Blue Nation is insane. They love the Wildcats, which I love a fanbase who loves their team. We have the facilities, we have the structure, and the process from where I’ve been, and when you apply that here, I think it just creates a winning culture, a winning environment, and a winning edge that you need to be successful,” Stein said.
“I’ve seen Kentucky win some massive games over my lifetime, and I’ve seen them narrowly miss wins. Why are those narrow misses? Is it the process? Is it the players? Is it the coaching? There’s factors involved in wins and losses every single Saturday, but I’ve just been a part of winning my whole life. At Trinity High School, I won three state championships. At Louisville, as a player, we won two conference titles. As a coach, we’ve won three conference championships.
“I’ve had 69 wins over the last six years, so I’m obviously really confident. What I’ve been a part of works. If we can apply that here to Kentucky and get the right people coaching-wise, we can get the right players who are bought into this process that love it; there’s no reason why this place shouldn’t be successful.”
Kentucky QBs Must Be the Tip of the Spear
That was admittedly my favorite part of the 20-minute Kentucky football documentary, but Will Stein didn’t steal all of the spotlight. Joe Sloan got plenty of shine as well, and some of that came from his boss.
“I think he’s one of the best quarterback coaches I’ve been around,” said Stein. “Why? Because he harps on the details in every facet of the game. He can coach Kenny Minchey as hard as Brennen Ward or JacQai Long as No. 2 or No. 3.”
Sloan is a relentless recruiter and an exceptional communicator, whether it’s to parents, prospects, or current players. He’s coaching an important position, one that comes with plenty of pressure. Sloan isn’t letting his quarterbacks run from it.
“It’s SEC football,” he told his players during a spring practice. “You gotta be locked in every day when you play quarterback. You’re the tip of the spear of a multi-million dollar organization. You are the one that catches the football every play. You are the tip of the spear, you are. Everybody’s careers, everybody’s families, everybody is in your hands at all times. And if that’s too much for you, which I don’t think it is, then you came to the wrong place because that’s what it’s gonna be. You gotta embrace it.”
Quarterback play has been a weakness for this Kentucky football program. Stein and Sloan are transforming it into a strength.
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