Former Kentucky OC Bush Hamdan Finds Landing Spot in the SEC

The final five years of the Mark Stoops era featured a rotating cast of characters at offensive coordinator. The last man to hold down that fort, Bush Hamdan, has found a new home in the SEC.

In 2026, Bush Hamdan will serve as the Associate Head Coach for Offense at Mississippi State. What exactly does that convoluted title mean? Head coach Jeff Lebby is the Bulldogs’ play-caller. That means Hamdan will be the top offensive assistant, but he will not be barking in plays over the headset. Instead, game-planning is his primary job while he serves as an eye in the sky in the press box.

Hamdan had a rough start to his two-year Kentucky tenure. The Wildcats went 13 consecutive games against Power Conference foes without scoring more than two offensive touchdowns, a streak that ended in a loss this fall to Tennessee.

The Wildcats did show a little life late in the season. Hamdan deserves credit for scrapping the preseason plan and using a short-passing game to get the ball quickly out of Cutter Boley‘s hands. Once the scheme changed, the redshirt freshman set the UK freshman record for completion percentage and touchdown passes against SEC foes. He threw for 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions in games at Kroger Field last fall.

Even though Kentucky was trending in the right direction for a little more than a month, all of that progress came to a screeching halt over the final two games of the season, culminating with an embarrassing performance at Louisville, tallying just 140 yards in a shutout. The following postgame interview is probably how most will remember Hamdan.

So what exactly what wasn’t working for Kentucky’s offense? https://t.co/gr30dbapDj pic.twitter.com/BRSoXPLpyo

— KSR (@KSRonX) September 7, 2025

Prior to his two years at Kentucky, Hamdan called plays for his alma mater, Boise State. He also spent time at Washington and was in the SEC for a couple of seasons at Missouri.

Kentucky fans will not get to see Hamdan next season. Mississippi State travels to Kroger Field in 2027.

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