Pete Nochta the Director of Recruiting/Recruiting Coordinator from Louisville is heading to Lexington to be with Stein. 

So basically the schools have swapped that position. 

11 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Pete Nochta the Director of Recruiting/Recruiting Coordinator from Louisville is heading to Lexington to be with Stein. 

So basically the schools have swapped that position. 

Getting Stoops Director of recruiting Chase Heuke so even trade. 

8 minutes ago, Tigerpride94 said:

Getting Stoops Director of recruiting Chase Heuke so even trade. 

Yeah and I'll take that trade, lol. 

2 hours ago, Calico Jack said:

Do you ever think that, despite the successes Stoops obviously brought to the program. Considering where the program was at the time of takeover, it's hard not to argue that he and Rich are the best two coaches UK has ever had...(while they were at Kentucky)

...but, I always have felt that Stoops struggled with the battle of "Who he really is as a coach" (Iowa, defense, low scoring, not going to be flashy..bc, like Iowa, we just don't get the dudes to go toe toe with the competition like that) vs "What he knew would/wouldn't appeal to the fan base".

I think he always battled those two wolves. One being in his heart, one being in his head. 

I made a minor adjustment, but all in all agree. Oddly, I feel very similar about Stoops as I do with Cal. Both were guys who had A LOT of excitement coming in and delivered. I think both were also guys who were given contracts that not only hurt the University, but hurt the coaches chances of leaving on good terms (I have no pity on Stoops for the money he is going to make to not work, but that buyout all but guaranteed Kentucky would be his last stop).

I think you're right about his Iowa defensive mind getting in the way at times. His defenses were incredible, and the production he was able to get out of guys like Josh Allen, Big Z, Danny T, Bud Dupree, Mike Edwards, etc. was amazing. But I think that Iowa mind also held back his ability to adjust with the offensive side of the game and he was unwilling to change (much like somebody else). 

I am very grateful for what Stoops (and Cal) did for the program, but I am very excited about the next chapters.

3 hours ago, Calico Jack said:

Do you ever think that, despite the successes Stoops obviously brought to the program. Considering where the program was at the time of takeover, it's hard not to argue that he and Rich are the best two coaches UK has ever had...

...but, I always have felt that Stoops struggled with the battle of "Who he really is as a coach" (Iowa, defense, low scoring, not going to be flashy..bc, like Iowa, we just don't get the dudes to go toe toe with the competition like that) vs "What he knew would/wouldn't appeal to the fan base".

I think he always battled those two wolves. One being in his heart, one being in his head. 

 

3 hours ago, Calico Jack said:

"WHO IS COMING WITH ME?!?!"- Jerry McGuire

...is all I'm feeling right now! ?  My man.  Yes...he did.  Yes they were.

The same reason why Stoops was TAMU's first choice and many, many, many UK fans couldn't understand why?

I told them WHY, like I'm sure you did.

Because the people at TAMU saw a guy that took, what's historically been at the bottom two of the SEC and won 6-10 games with them for a stretch. And THEY were smart enough to realize, not having 'blue goggles' on that...."No his W/L % might now be that eye popping, but the fact that he's been able to win THERE any at all? Just think what he could do HERE." 

 

My biggest argument to people who don’t think it’s possible to get better than what we had with Stoops, is Indiana Football. Is it going to be tough, absolutely. Is UK ever going to be a dominant year after year force in the SEC probably not. Should UK be able to compete and some years have a chance at the playoffs? Absolutely! Honestly Indiana and Vandy are two perfect examples of that. Up until two years ago, people would have thought it would been even crazier than UK to think Vandy or Indiana could ever compete for the playoffs. Especially with the new Big 10 and SEC realignment. Yet they have coaches who literally are pushing those teams to that spot. Vandy even just now for a 5 star QB commit. 
 

Stoops did an absolutely amazing job, because UK was in a horrible spot after Joker Phillips. Stoops made UK football relevant again and deserves all the credit. The poor man’s Iowa is a perfect comparison for what UK football was under Stoops. However, we live in a world where literally almost all teams around us in the last 15 years or so UC, UL, Indiana, Tennessee have all made the playoffs or BCS type bowls. Yet under Stoops we couldn’t get there, even when we had favorable SEC schedules. 

Will Stein was overshadowed by Lone Oak's Corey Robinson at the end of their high school football senior seasons in 2007. Robinson set the Kentucky state record for single-season passing yards that season (5,872) and set a national record for single-season touchdown passes (91), going 383-520 (73.6%) with 4 interceptions on the season. Stein had a banner year at quarterback, by all standards, with 3,685 yards passing for 54 touchdowns, going 254-359 (70.8%) with 7 interceptions on the season. His 54 touchdowns set broke Brian Brohm's program record at Trinity for touchdown passes in a single season. Robinson's Lone Oak team lost 49-7 to Lexington Catholic in the 4A state finals that season, while Stein's Trinity team defeated St. Xavier 34-28 in overtime to win the 6A state championship.

Corey Robinson was named 2007 Kentucky Mr. Football, was named 1st Team All-State by both the Associated Press and the Courier-Journal, was named to the Herald-Leader's 2007 Class of the Commonwealth, as well as the 2007 All-BluegrassPreps Team.

Stein was not named to the 2007 Mr. Football finalists, was overlooked completely by the Associated Press in their All-State 1st Team, 2nd Team, and Honorable Mention lists, was named 3rd Team All-State by the Courier-Journal, and was named to the Herald-Leader's 2007 Class of the Commonwealth.

Robinson went on to redshirt for 2 seasons at Troy University before starting for 4 years at QB for the Trojans. In the first game of his senior year Robinson broke Steve Sarkisian's NCAA record for highest completion percentage in a single game (min. 30 attempts) by completing 30 of 32 attempts against UAB (93.8%). Robinson went undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft, then signing with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he was released in the offseason. He played one season of football in the FXFL with the Brooklyn Bolts.

Stein signed at the University of Louisville and redshirted his freshman year, and then played as a backup QB in the following 4 seasons. He remained on as a graduate assistant under Charlie Strong in 2013 & 2014, and then followed Coach Strong to Texas as a quality control coach from 2015-2017, leaving to coach at Lake Travis High School near Austin, TX after Tom Herman's first season at Texas. Stein was LTHS's assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and the quarterbacks position coach. He returned to college coaching at the University of Texas San Antonio in December 2019, taking over as passing game coordinator and WRs coach, and then he was co-offensive coordinator and QBs coach for the Roadrunners for the 2022 season. He was hired by Oregon head coach Dan Lanning in 2023 as the Ducks' offensive coordinator and QBs coach, where he coached for three seasons prior to being hired as head coach at the University of Kentucky.

Kentucky is hiring Texas A&M DC, Jay Bateman as the new DC. 

1 hour ago, All State Baseball said:

Kentucky is hiring Texas A&M DC, Jay Bateman as the new DC. 

I am definitely liking the staff he is putting together so far. Drawing coordinators with experience going against SEC teams. 

Very nice!

On 12/11/2025 at 9:40 AM, All State Baseball said:

Kentucky is hiring Texas A&M DC, Jay Bateman as the new DC. 

He wasn't the coordinator- he might have been 'on paper', but he wasn't calling those shots at TAMU.  

Elko was.