Will Stein Named to Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award Watch List

“Stein Time” has provided epic come-from-behind overtime victories, upsets of top 10 teams, dominant third-quarter performances, sellout crowds in Kroger Field and the national spotlight on the Kentucky football program. Entering week eight, the Wildcats are tied for first place in the SEC alongside Georgia.

Named head coach on Dec. 1, 2025, Stein quickly went to work assembling a staff and roster. He signed one of the best transfer portal classes in the country and instilled a culture that consists of connection, accountability, toughness and sacrifice.

The first-year head coach debuted with a 45-13 win over Youngstown State on Sept. 5. The 45 points were the most for a Kentucky head coach in his debut since 1938 when A.D. Kirwan’s Wildcats defeated Maryville, 46-7. UK’s dynamic brand of offense was on full display, racking up 506 yards of total offense, the most in a season opener for a Kentucky squad since 2021.

His first marquee win came on the road as the Cats upset No. 9/8 Texas A&M on Sept. 19 by the score of 31-21. The offense scored touchdowns on four of five possessions, and outgained the Aggies 196-20 in yards, securing 10 first downs to the home team’s zero in the third quarter. In addition to the top 10 victory, it was Stein’s first win on the road and first league victory. He became the first coach in program history to win a true road game against an Associated Press Top 10 ranked opponent during his first season. UK was named the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week with four players, Stein and assistant coach Cutter Leftwich all earning weekly accolades as well.

Trailing 21-14 with 1:22 remaining in the second quarter, Kentucky scored 17 points covering the next 3:09 of game clock to jumpstart a win over South Alabama. Kentucky racked up 390 rushing yards, the most for a UK team since 2020, and three running backs topped 100 yards for just the second time in school history. Stein became the first coach since Hal Mumme in 1997 to have 500 yards of total offense in two of his first four games of his career.

The first epic in-game decision of his coaching career came a week later in Columbia, South Carolina. Kentucky put together the biggest road comeback win in school history after rallying from a 17-0 deficit against South Carolina. It ended with the Cats going for a 2-point conversion in the first overtime when quarterback Kenny Minchey found tight end Willie Rodriguez in the back of the endzone to cap the historic rally.

UK earned its second win over an AP Top 10 opponent when LSU came to town on Oct. 10. But, it took a raucous crowd and another overtime gutsy call to prevail. With a second-consecutive 35-34 win, Kentucky became the first team in FBS history to earn back-to-back one-point wins in overtime since the inception of the extra periods in 1996. With the win, Stein became the first coach in program history with two wins over AP Top 10 teams in his first season. Kentucky needed a last-minute game-tying field goal to force overtime and the extra period played out just like the week before. LSU took a lead and kicked an extra point. After CJ Baxter plunged in for a 1-yard score, Stein once again went for two with all of Big Blue Nation on the edge of their seats. Minchey then called his own number and dashed in for the winning conversion.

The Cats relied on a stout defensive performance in a comeback effort at Oklahoma in their most recent win. Trailing 13-7 in the fourth quarter, Ty Bryant picked off a pass and returned it 43 yards into Sooners territory. Minchey found Rodriguez for their second touchdown hookup of the day to give the Cats the lead. With Oklahoma attempting to mount a drive, Jordan Castell picked off another pass and scored on a 41-yard scamper to give the visitors a cushion. Bryant would eventually seal the win with his second interception of the evening. UK’s defense stymied the Sooners, limiting them to just 13 points despite OU averaging 23.9 points per game entering the contest.

Kentucky’s 6-1 record overall and 4-1 mark in the SEC is the best start since the 2021 squad also opened to the same records. UK has won five in a row for the first time since 2023 and is bowl eligible for the first time since that ’23 squad.

The Wildcats have won four SEC games in a row for the first time since the 2021 season. This is also the first time UK has had a three-game SEC win streak on the road since the 2009 team won three straight league games to conclude the season. Furthermore, Kentucky has won three straight games after trailing in the fourth quarter for just the second time in program history, matching the feat achieved by the 2006 team in early November.

Stein is the first coach to own a 6-1 record in his first season at the helm since Alpha Brumage in 1913. He is also the first coach ever to begin 4-1 in SEC play in his first season. The SEC began in 1933.

The watch list, finalists and coach of the year recipient are voted on by the National Sports Media Association and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Executive Leadership Team, comprised of members of the Bryant family and community leaders who come together to support the campaign.

The National Coach of the Year Award is one of five honors presented annually during the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Ceremony, presented by Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas. This year’s ceremony, in its 41st year, will be held on Jan. 27, 2027, in Houston and will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards support the American Heart Association by raising funds and awareness to advance lifesaving research and improve cardiovascular health.

Bryant is one of the most renowned coaches in college football history. His fabled career including a term as head coach at Kentucky from 1946-53. He compiled a 60-23 record and took the Wildcats to four bowl games – Great Lakes, Orange, Sugar and Cotton. The 1950 squad earned an 11-1 record, won a Southeastern Conference championship and defeated Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, ending the Sooners’ 31-game winning streak. UK is the 1950 national champion according to the Sagarin Computer Ratings.

Kentucky will return to action on Saturday, playing host to Vanderbilt. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on SEC Network.