Hot Board: KSR's first look at the candidates to become next leader of Kentucky football

The moment many of been waiting on in the Big Blue Nation has finally arrived. Kentucky and Mark Stoops have separated after a 13-year run in the Bluegrass. For the first time since 2012, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart will be conducting a coaching search. A lot has changed in college football since then.

Kentucky has entered a crowded head coaching market but there was no other choice for this program. The Wildcats are starting a search with two clear top candidates but some other names will be worth monitoring as this search progresses. Expect numerous candidates to be vetted.

KSR+’s first hot board of what is expected to be a wild ride on the carousel has arrived. Kentucky’s projected top candidate does have a defensive background, but offense and QB development are two big boxes that will likely need to be checked during this process. That will be important to remember as we begin to look at candidates.

A reminder that we our very early in the process. We mean very early. Therefore, we aren’t separating the candidates into tiers just led. Leaders are expected to emerge quickly, but Barnhart and UK could be looking at a deep pool of candidates in this search.

The board

Neal Brown (Texas special assistant to the head coach)

• 45 years old
• Head coach record: 72-51
• Recent work history: West Virginia head coach (2019-24), Troy head coach (2015-18)
• Career accomplishments: Won the 2017 Sun Belt title at Troy.

The former Kentucky wide receiver and offensive coordinator was fired after a 37-35 run at West Virginia after a six-year run in Morgantown. Brown spent this year on Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Texas and is expected to be a candidate for top Group of Six jobs when they begin to come open. Brown has extensive ties to Kentucky and could be someone that the administration wants to talk to.

Bob Chesney (James Madison head coach)

• 48 years old
• Head coach record: 20-5 in FBS | 131-51 overall
• Recent work history: Holy Cross (FCS) head coach (2018-23), Assumption (D-II) head coach (2013-17), Salve Regina (D-III) head coach (2010-12)
• Career accomplishments: Chesney recorded seven career playoff appearances at Assumption and Holy Cross.

Chesney has been a college football head coach for 16 seasons and has just one losing season. The Northeast native has gone D-III to D-II to FCS to Group of Five. A power conference jump is highly likely this offseason. In his second season, James Madison will play for a Sun Belt title this weekend. UCLA and Penn State are both currently pursuing this ascending coaching talent.

Sonny Dykes (TCU head coach)

• 56 years old
• Head coach record: 106-80
• Recent work history: Louisiana Tech head coach (2010-12), California head coach (2013-16), SMU head coach (2018-21), TCU head coach (2022-present)
• Career accomplishments: Won the 2011 WAC title at Louisiana Tech plus an undefeated regular season and national runner-up finish in 2022 at TCU.

The son of former long-time Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes has been a head coach for 15 season and led TCU to the national championship game in 2022. However, the Frogs have had some slippage in the last two seasons and Sonny Dykes is working for an athletic director that did not hire him. The younger Dykes was a wide receivers coach at UK in 1997 and 1999 and was a finalist in the Kentucky search that hired Mark Stoops. If Dykes is looking for a change of scenery, UK could offer him a landing spot that he is familiar with in a power two conference. Dykes has won 106 career games and is a bowl victory away from consecutive nine-win seasons at TCU.

P.J. Fleck (Minnesota head coach)

• 45 years old
• Head coach record: 95-66
• Recent work history: Western Michigan head coach (2013-16)
• Career accomplishments: The 2016 MAC title plus an 11-win season and top-10 finish at Minnesota in 2019.

Fleck just wrapped up his 13th season as a head coach. The former MAC wide receiver has won 95 games and led Minnesota to 11 wins in 2019. The Gophers finished this year with a 7-5 mark and have a five-year bowl streak. Fleck has appeared on multiple candidate lists this coaching search season as he seems ready for a new challenge. The offensive numbers have not been pretty but Fleck has made Minnesota a successful mid-tier program in the Big Ten despite almost never finishing super high in recruiting rankings.

Ryan Grubb (Alabama offensive coordinator)

• 49 years old
• Recent work history: Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator (2024), Washington offensive coordinator (2022-23), Fresno State offensive coordinator (2019-21)
• Career accomplishments: Helped lead Washington to the national championship game while developing Michael Penix Jr. int a first-round pick. Appears to be doing the same thing with Ty Simpson at Alabama.

The Iowa native has a long work history with Kalen DeBoer and has helped give Alabama an upgrade after a one-year stint in the NFL. A former offensive line coach, Grubb has produced three top-20 offenses in three years as a power conference play-caller. If Kentucky is vetting offensive candidates, Grubb needs to be near the top of the list.

Brian Hartline (Ohio State offensive coordinator)

• 38 years old
• Recent work history: Ohio State wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator (2018-25)
• Career accomplishments: Known as one of the best recruiters in college football and has been promoted to offensive coordinator twice by head coach Ryan Day.

The former Ohio State wide receiver returned to his alma mater in 2017 after the former fourth-round pick spent seven years in the NFL. Hartline was promoted to wide receivers coach in year two and quickly became one of the best recruiters in the country. The Buckeyes consistently pump out star wideouts and Hartline is a huge reason why. Hartline has held an offensive coordinator title since 2023 and has been allowed to call plays in 2025. The Buckeyes have played at a top-15 level this season with a redshirt freshman quarterback. Hartline’s brother, Mike, played quarterback at Kentucky and is currently in a support staff role on the current UK staff. His name has consistently come up whenever Mark Stoops was looking for an offensive coordinator.

Collin Klein (Texas A&M offensive coordinator)

• 36 years old
• Recent work history: Kansas State offensive coordinator (2022-23)
• Career accomplishments: Called plays for a K-State that won a Big 12 title and a Texas A&M squad that will receive an invite to the 2025 College Football Playoff.

The former K-State quarterback began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2014 and became an offensive coordinator less than a decade later. Klein has been a big reason for Texas A&M’s success under Mike Elko and helped lead his alma mater to a Big 12 title in 2022. Klein is an ascending offensive coordinator who will be a head coach soon.

Dan Mullen (UNLV head coach)

• 53 years old
• Recent work history: Florida head coach (2018-21), Mississippi State head coach (2009-17)
• Career accomplishments: Led Mississippi State to eight consecutive bowl games plus three top-25 finishes. Recorded three consecutive top-15 seasons at Florida. Will be playing for a Mountain West title in year one at UNLV this weekend.

The former SEC head coach returned to college football this season after three years off and has led UNLV to a 10-2 season. Mullen has long been considered one of the better play callers in college football. The former Urban Meyer assistant could be better suited for the NIL era after failing to meet the high school recruiting demands at Florida before pay-for-play took over college football. Mullen will be a power conference head coach again sooner rather than later.

Gerad Parker (Troy head coach)

• 44 years old
• Recent work history: Notre Dame offensive coordinator (2023)
• Career accomplishments: Led Troy to a Sun Belt division title in year two.

The Louisa (Ky.) Lawrence County product played wide receiver for Kentucky from 2000-04 before beginning his coaching career. Parker was a graduate assistant at Kentucky in 2007 before getting his first power conference coaching gig in 2013 at Purdue. Parker has since worked at Penn State, West Virginia, and Notre Dame before becoming the latest former UK player to be the head coach at Troy. He has the Trojans in the Sun Belt Championship Game in year two.

Tommy Rees (Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator)

• 33 years old
• Recent work history: Notre Dame offensive coordinator (2020-22), Alabama offensive coordinator (2023)
• Career accomplishments: Guiding Jalen Milroe to his best career season when Alabama turned the season around and won an SEC title in 2023.

The former Notre Dame quarterback from Chicago became Brian Kelly’s play-caller at Notre Dame at age 27. After three years with the Irish that included one playoff appearance and another 11-win season, Reeds left to become Nick Saban’s final play-caller at Alabama. The young offensive coordinator helped develop Jalen Milroe and turned a struggling Alabama offense into a very effective unit. The Tide won the SEC that season before a loss to undefeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Rees was a candidate at North Carolina last cycle and is on a Cleveland Browns staff that could be overturning at the end of the year.

Glenn Schumann (Georgia defensive coordinator)

• 35 years old
• Recent work history: Georgia defensive coordinator (2022-present)
• Career accomplishments: Young riser who quickly became an SEC defensive coordinator.

Schumann is finishing his fourth season as Kirby Smart’s primary defensive play-caller. The former student assistant at Alabama went from graduate assistant to the youngest position coach in the SEC when Smart brought him to Georgia to coaching linebackers at 26 years old in 2016. Schumann has interviewed for NFL defensive coordinator gigs and was very much in the mix for the North Carolina opening last season along with Jon Sumrall and Tommy Rees before the Heels pivoted to Bill Belichick. Schumann is a young and ascending coach with extensive SEC experience.

Will Stein (Oregon offensive coordinator)

• 36 years old
• Recent work history: Austin (Texas) Lake Travis High offensive coordinator (2018-19), UTSA wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator (2020-22)
• Career accomplishments: The offensive coordinator for 2022 C-USA title team at UTSA. Called plays for Oregon team that won a 2024 Big Ten title. Will coach in the playoff again in 2025.

The former Louisville (Ky.) Trinity quarterback grew up a Kentucky fan after his dad played for the Wildcats in the 80s. However, story goes that Joker Phillips didn’t not offer Stein a preferred walk-on spot and that led him to go to Louisville thanks to a Trinity connection with then head coach Steve Kragthorpe. Stein would later become a starter for the Cardinals become starting his coaching career under Charlie Strong at Texas. Stein bet on himself by moving to high school in 2018 to call plays and that has paid dividends. Stein has been a part of two conference title teams and his quarterbacks have produced big numbers all season.

INTEL: The timeline with Oregon will be something to watch closely here. Depending on how the Ducks do in the playoff, the timing could be tricky.

Kane Wommack (Alabama defensive coordinator)

• 38 years old
• Recent work history: South Alabama head coach (2021-23), Indiana defensive coordinator (2019-20)
• Career accomplishments: Wommack won 10 game in his second year at South Alabama.

Wommack was very much involved in the Arkansas search and is a name expected to receive heavy interest in future job searches. The son of former long-time SEC assistant Dave Wommack, the younger Wommack became a defensive coordinator before age 30 and now has multiple years of SEC experience. He has helped lead Alabama back to the SEC Championship Game.