LIVE UPDATES: Kentucky Football Coaching Search, Day 1

We have two confirmed names: Will Stein and Brian Hartline

Kelly Craft speaks

It’s no secret that Joe and Kelly Craft are Kentucky’s biggest donors when it comes to athletics. It’s also not a secret that they are good friends with Mark Stoops. Kelly just shared this tribute to Stoops on Twitter in response to Jacob Tamme’s tweet about the change in leadership.

Meeting Cancelled

The Athletics Committee Board of Trustees Meeting that was previously scheduled for this afternoon has been cancelled. To be candid, I’m not exactly sure who is on that committee, but the focus is now on the search process, which is underway and taking priority at this time.

Jacob Tamme Chimes In

The former Kentucky tight end isn’t just a talented ex-player. Tamme serves on the Board of Champions Blue LLC. That means he has voting power when personnel decisions are made. He shared his thoughts on the Stoops era and what’s next for the Wildcats in a Twitter post.

“Mark Stoops reset the culture of Kentucky football. He brought toughness, physicality, and grit at a time when the program desperately needed all three. More than that, the high points of his tenure here fostered belief. Streaks ended. Bowls won. Standards risen. Under his leadership, Kentucky became a program that, at our best, could compete with anyone.

“I’ll remember his era as one defined by competitiveness and genuine excitement. I was in the stands for much of it, and saw with my own eyes the energy around our state and inside Kroger Field on gameday when Kentucky football was right. For a long stretch, Coach Stoops made it right. I am personally grateful to Mark for everything he has dedicated to this program over the last 13 years.

“Recent seasons have been disappointing. The combination of factors required to win at the highest level of college football has shifted dramatically.

“For Kentucky football to take the next step, it’s time for the next chapter. Let’s go make it happen.”

A Thank You to Mark Stoops

We’ll have plenty more to say about Stoops’ accomplishments in Lexington, but for now, this will serve as the official salute from the school.

Florio: Kentucky Players Believe Chip Kelly is the Next Coach

Mike Florio works for NBC and is on Sunday night’s “Football Night in America.” When he’s not on TV, he posts on Pro Football Talk. His latest one is eye-opening.

“Word is circulating among Kentucky players that Kelly could be the team’s next head coach,” writes Florio. “That doesn’t mean he will be. It doesn’t even mean he’s an official candidate. It means only that Kentucky players have somehow developed the impression that Kelly could be the new coach.”

Consider the source before you read too much into this. Florio is in deep in the NFL rumor mill. He’s in so deep that our friends at Pardon My Take describe some of his work as “Florio Fan Fiction.” This rumor may be floating around NFL circles, with Raiders’ fans hoping it alleviates the buyout they owe him, but you shouldn’t take it to the bank.

Kelly was the UCLA head coach from 2018-23. He left on his own volition because of NIL demands of the position and became the Ohio State offensive coordinator. After helping the Buckeyes win a National Title, he served as Pete Carroll’s offensive play-caller in Vegas for 11 games.

Recent History Says This Will Move Fast

The Coaching Carousel moves quickly, even after the SEC got five new head coaches on Sunday. Many might think that Kentucky got behind the 8-Ball, but we still expect Mitch Barnhart and the Kentucky administration to move quickly. Why? They’ve done it before.

Nobody could foresee John Calipari’s departure for Arkansas. The news became official on April 9. On the night of April 11, we learned Mark Pope would be the Wildcats’ next head coach. Keep your head on a swivel. Things happen quickly in coaching searches.

ARCHIVES: Will Stein Grew Up Cheering for Kentucky

You’ve heard that Will Stein spent his childhood cheering for the Kentucky Wildcats. It’s not just an old wives’ tale.

His father, Matt Stein, played defense for Jerry Claiborne when the Wildcats won at Tennessee in 1984. Like his son Will, he was a walk-on from Trinity who earned a scholarship. The family had season tickets, and before Will earned the start at quarterback for Louisville in 2011, he could recall those experiences vividly.

“So this is definitely special to me, going back to Commonwealth (Stadium). I spent a lot of games there,” he said. “I still know I was in section 128, row 13. … Obviously, now I’m not ‘for them’ at all.”

Positive Early Sign around Kentucky’s Candidates

Jon Sumrall was BBN’s top choice to succeed Mark Stoops, but Kentucky was too late to the party. There’s a clear next two up: Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein and Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. You know how I know they’d be great fits? Their fans hate the thought of them leaving.

For Stein, it’s actually Louisville fans who are the most vocal. After all, he’s a former UofL quarterback who played locally at Trinity. When rumors swirled around Jeff Brohm and the vacancies at Florida and Penn State, their panic was settled down by the belief that they could get Stein to come home. They don’t want Stein to come home and wear Kentucky blue (even though that’s the color he wore as a kid).