Will Stein hasn’t just been busy - he’s been operating at a breakneck pace that would leave most coaches gasping for breath. Since being named Kentucky’s new head football coach on December 3, Stein has been living in two worlds: one foot in Lexington, the other still firmly planted in Eugene, calling plays and chasing a College Football Playoff run with Oregon.
That double-duty is just now winding down, with the transfer portal set to close this Friday. But over the past six weeks, Stein has been balancing two of the most demanding jobs in college football - and somehow, he’s made it look manageable.
Let’s rewind for a second. On December 20, Stein was on the Oregon sideline as the Ducks took down James Madison at Autzen Stadium.
Less than two weeks later, he helped guide them past Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. The very next day?
He was back in Lexington, diving headfirst into transfer portal visits for Kentucky. And just as quickly, he was back in Eugene, preparing for a national semifinal showdown against Indiana.
The day after that loss in Atlanta, Stein was already back in Kentucky, ready to turn the page and fully embrace his next chapter.
It’s the kind of whirlwind that would test any coach’s stamina and focus, but Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart has been nothing short of impressed with how Stein handled it all.
“I’m amazed how seamlessly he did that,” Barnhart said Thursday. “The amount of effort that took on Will’s part to try and be respectful and honor his team that he worked so hard with to develop, and then to be in the middle of trying to hire a staff and get everything in place… that’s a heck of an effort.”
A big part of that effort involved building a staff - and doing it quickly. Stein had to assemble nearly two dozen staffers while still game-planning for a playoff opponent.
That meant a lot of Zoom calls, a lot of delegation, and a lot of trust in the people around him. The goal?
Hit the ground running once the portal opened, and make sure Kentucky didn’t fall behind in the ever-evolving world of roster building.
Barnhart also gave credit to Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who allowed Stein the flexibility to bounce between roles. Lanning, of course, had done something similar when he left Georgia for Oregon, so he understood the juggling act - and helped make it possible.
Now, with the playoff push behind him and the portal about to close, Stein can finally focus on what comes next: building a program from the inside out.
“The fact that Will and his group did that fairly seamlessly at this point in time, it’s amazing,” Barnhart said. “For him to be able to get the winter workouts going, get his culture created, and get to a spot where he can walk through a spring practice and get his system in - that’s really, really important.”
Because let’s be honest - the SEC doesn’t wait for anyone. Once fall hits, it’s full throttle. And if Stein wants to make a splash in his first year at Kentucky, the foundation he lays right now - in January, in the weight room, in staff meetings, in film sessions - is going to matter just as much as the X’s and O’s on Saturdays.
So yes, it’s been a chaotic six weeks. But if this is any indication of how Stein handles pressure, Kentucky fans might have reason to believe their program is in good hands.