Will Stein Adds Allen Brown to Kentucky Staff, Doubling Down on Youth and Upside
As Will Stein continues to juggle two realities-helping Oregon chase a national title and assembling his first staff as Kentucky’s head coach-he’s taken another step toward completing his defensive coaching unit. The latest addition? Allen Brown, a rising defensive mind who’s making the move from Cal to Lexington.
Brown’s hire is expected to round out the defensive staff, and it fits the pattern Stein is clearly leaning into: young, energetic coaches with something to prove and the tools to grow. Brown is 30-something, relatively new to the Power Five scene, and fits the exact mold Stein has targeted throughout this process.
From FCS Star to Power Conference Coach
Brown’s football journey started in the Pacific Northwest, where he was a standout safety at Eastern Washington. He arrived on campus in 2009 and played a key role in the Eagles’ 2010 FCS national championship run. As a redshirt freshman, Brown helped his team edge Delaware in a 20-19 title game thriller-a moment that still stands as a defining highlight in his playing career.
Over five seasons, Brown developed into an all-conference safety. He racked up 167 tackles, four interceptions, 18 pass breakups, and forced six turnovers. His instincts and leadership in the secondary laid the foundation for what would become a steady climb through the coaching ranks.
Coaching Roots on the West Coast
Brown didn’t waste time transitioning into coaching. He got his start at Cal Poly in 2015, coaching cornerbacks under head coach Tim Walsh.
He spent four seasons there before returning to his alma mater, Eastern Washington, where he served as both cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator under Aaron Best. Across those seven years in the Big Sky Conference, Brown was part of three playoff teams-experience that helped him earn a shot at the next level.
That opportunity came in 2022 when he joined Justin Wilcox’s staff at Cal as a quality control coach. It was a behind-the-scenes role, but it gave him his first taste of Power Five football.
From there, Brown made a brief stop in the SEC in 2023, joining Florida’s staff in the same capacity. That year, he worked alongside linebackers coach Jay Bateman-now Kentucky’s new defensive coordinator-and under defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, who would go on to coach safeties at Houston with another new Kentucky hire, Josh Christian-Young.
Brown’s time at Florida proved to be a key connection point. That season in Gainesville planted the seeds for his eventual move to Lexington.
A Coaching Journey That’s Picking Up Steam
After Florida, Brown landed his first full-time Power Conference position coach role at Washington State, coaching cornerbacks during the Cougars’ first season post-Pac-12. When Jake Dickert left Pullman to take the Wake Forest job, Brown initially accepted a position at Colorado State but quickly pivoted back to Cal for the 2025 season, rejoining Wilcox before the head coach was let go in November.
Now, Brown is set to join his sixth program in 12 years. All but one of those seasons were spent on the West Coast, making this SEC opportunity a significant shift-and a major step forward.
Stein’s Blueprint: Bet on Youth, Build for the Future
With Brown on board, Stein continues to lean into a clear strategy: hire young, ascending coaches and get in early. Outside of coordinators Jay Bateman and Joe Sloan-both seasoned and well-versed in SEC football-most of Stein’s hires are relatively inexperienced at the Power Five level.
Take Cutter Leftwich, for example. He graduated high school in 2017 and has just one season of experience as a full-time offensive line coach, which came at North Texas in 2024.
Joe Price III spent several years at UTSA before earning this opportunity. Tony Washington Jr., only 33, has just two years as a full-time position coach at Oregon and UCLA.
Josh Christian-Young brings just two seasons of Power Conference experience from his time at Houston.
Brown, for his part, will enter his fourth year in a Power Conference program in 2026. Two of those seasons were spent in quality control roles.
But what he lacks in time, he makes up for in trajectory. His rise has been steady, and now he’s stepping into the SEC spotlight with a chance to prove he belongs.
A Calculated Risk with Potential Upside
It’s clear that Stein isn’t afraid to take calculated risks. He’s betting on upside, energy, and cohesion over years of résumé padding. Brown’s familiarity with Bateman and his experience with multiple defensive systems make him a strong cultural fit for what Kentucky is building.
And while the staff as a whole may be light on long-term Power Five experience, it’s heavy on potential. Brown’s hire reflects that philosophy-a young coach who’s paid his dues, earned his shot, and now gets to prove himself in the most competitive conference in college football.
Kentucky’s new staff may not be stacked with household names (yet), but if Stein’s vision plays out, this could be a group that grows together-and surprises a few people along the way.