Derek Shay Expected to Remain on Will Stein's Kentucky Coaching Staff

There have been many changes this week for the Kentucky football program. Not everything will look entirely different in 2026.

KSR has learned that Derek Shay is expected to remain in Lexington as a part of Will Stein‘s first coaching staff. Shay spent the last two seasons at Kentucky. He was an analyst in 2024, and promoted to tight ends coach in 2025 following Vince Marrow’s abrupt departure over the summer.

During his one season overseeing the position, the Kentucky tight end room had its most productive season of the Mark Stoops era. The Wildcats’ third and fourth leading receivers were tight ends. Willie Rodriguez caught 23 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown. Rodriguez had six receptions at Vanderbilt, the most by a Kentucky tight end since CJ Conrad in 2015. Josh Kattus was nipping on Willie’s heels. He had 17 receptions for 195 yards and two scores in 10.5 games.

He received a late promotion, so it’s hard to quantify what Shay brings to the table as a recruiter. However, in a short amount of time, he landed a commitment from TE Lincoln Watkins. The versatile athlete from Michigan had interest from multiple SEC schools and just signed with the Wildcats as I was typing this. Let this be a lesson: always keep your head on a swivel.

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Prior to Kentucky, Shay spent time at Missouri, but more importantly, Louisiana. After coaching at McNeese State, he spent a couple of years working on Ed Orgeron’s staff at LSU. Even though his timeline in Baton Rouge does not appear to line up with Joe Sloan, the new UK offensive coordinator has an established relationship with Shay.

Shay may not be the only holdover from Mark Stoops’ coaching staff. We cannot confirm it, but there are rumblings that Anwar Stewart and L’Damian Washington will remain on the Kentucky football coaching staff.

Stewart is a former Wildcat who has done an exceptional job developing the defensive line since he arrived in 2020. Washington arrived last offseason, inheriting a group that was viewed as the offense’s weakness. By the year’s end, they were reliable options for Cutter Boley. Like Shay and Sloan, Washington’s roots are in Louisiana, and he has recruiting connections in the state of Texas.

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