When Kentucky hired Will Stein, the pitch was simple: an offensive mind who wants to score in bunches and drag the program into the modern era. After a decade of grind-it-out football under Mark Stoops, that alone was enough to intrigue Big Blue Nation.
But if you really want to know what Kentucky is getting, just ask the quarterback whose career exploded under Stein.
Bo Nix, a 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist at Oregon, didn’t hold back when asked about his former offensive coordinator now taking over the Wildcats.
“Coach Stein is a great football coach. He really helped me in my development during our one year at Oregon,” Nix said. “We had a great time together and I learned a lot from him as a coach and as a past quarterback. I think he will do great things as a head coach. He’s a great leader of men. He does a great job at communicating, teaching, and getting guys going in the right direction.”
That endorsement should carry real weight in Lexington.
Why Bo Nix thinks Will Stein is built to win with Kentucky football
Under Stein in 2023, Nix put up video game numbers: 4,508 passing yards, 45 touchdowns, 77.4% completions and just three interceptions, plus six rushing scores over 14 games.
He finished third in the Heisman voting behind winner Jayden Daniels and runner-up Michael Penix Jr., leading one of the most efficient and explosive offenses in the country.
Nix made it clear he doesn’t think that was a coincidence.
“I would not have had the season I had during my final year at Oregon without him,” Nix said. “He helped me in so many different ways and I learned countless things that I am able to apply right now in the NFL. I’m grateful for him and grateful for our time together.”
If you’re a Kentucky fan wondering whether Stein’s system can translate to the SEC, this is your first piece of evidence. Nix isn’t just saying Stein knows ball; he’s saying Stein knows how to teach it and how to put his quarterback in position to succeed.
‘A great fit’ and a homecoming
Stein’s hire came with another storyline: his ties to the state. A former Louisville quarterback who grew up a Kentucky fan, he returns to his home state now as the man in charge.
Nix thinks that matters.
“He is going to really enjoy being back home. I know it will be a great fit for him and his family. I know he’ll do a great job at Kentucky.”
Kentucky didn’t just hire an Xs-and-Os guy. They hired a coach a recent Heisman finalist calls a leader of men, an elite communicator and a teacher whose concepts are already proving NFL-usable for his former QB.
If Stein can pair that offensive creativity with SEC recruiting chops, Kentucky may finally have the kind of attack that terrifies defensive coordinators every single week.