Kentucky set to hire Texas A&M defensive coordinator Jay Bateman for same role

Will Stein is quickly putting together his first staff as the new head coach at Kentucky. That includes who they’re expected to now hire to be the new defensive coordinator for the Wildcats.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Kentucky is set to hire Texas A&M DC Jay Bateman. It’s a name of someone who has worked his way up on defensive staffs the past two decades, including three power-level stops since 2019 and two in the SEC since 2022 with him having spent the past two seasons with A&M.

Bateman has been on staff the last two years with the Aggies, being their defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, under Mike Elko, which would now make it the second of two coordinators to leave the staff in the past week after Kansas State hired OC Collin Klein. He, in his time here, has had one of the better defenses in the country, as A&M has allowed 22.1 points and 338.6 yards per game.

This season, Texas A&M has further continued that in his second year, with them allowing 21.9 points and 309.8 yards per game. They’ve also posted among the best stats in the nation as they’re best in the country in third down conversion rate, tied for the best in sacks, top-three in tackles for loss, top-ten in first down conversion rate, and among the best in passing yards allowed. That’s been part of what’s allowed the Aggies to go 11-1, one of the best seasons in school history, and now make their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.

As for the rest of his resumé, Bateman has also recently worked for two seasons as the inside linebackers coach at Florida, and before that for three seasons as the safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator at North Carolina. He has also made stops as defensive coordinator at Army and Ball State in the FBS, as well as smaller defensive stops at Elon, Lehigh, and Richmond along with four years, one as defensive coordinator and three more as head coach, at Siena.

Since his hiring on December 1st, Stein, the offensive coordinator at Oregon, has moved fast on putting things together to begin his tenure at UK. Among those hired so far include OC Joe Sloan, as well as reports of assistant hires progressing as well as those in the front office and in recruiting for UK, while previous staff members from under Mark Stoops have also apparently been retained like Anwar Stewart and Mike Hartline.

Things are coming together nicely, with several hires of note already, for Stein so far at Kentucky. That then leaves Elko with work to do, amidst a playoff run to start and finish as well, as there’ll need to be two new coordinators in Aggieland, with Bateman now also set to leave A&M