Jay Bateman didn’t jump at just any defensive coordinator job. When he talked through his move, it was clear Kentucky checked boxes that other places didn’t.
He said the pull started with Will Stein himself:
“I think I was real intrigued with Will Stein, the new head coach… when he reached out to me, just his vision.”
Bateman admitted he got a real feel for Kentucky a few years ago when his Florida defense watched the Wildcats “beat the brakes off” them in Lexington. The place stuck with him. Combine that memory with Stein’s blueprint and one thing sealed it, he gets to call plays again.
Why Jay Bateman picked Kentucky—and how he’s balancing A&M’s playoff run
“I felt like this was a chance to kind of have autonomy as defensive coordinator,” Bateman explained. Having the freedom to truly run the defense while partnering with an offensive-heavy head coach—made this move feel like the right one.
Right now, though, Bateman is in a unique spot: he’s helping Texas A&M chase a playoff run while simultaneously laying the groundwork at Kentucky. A&M faces Miami on Dec. 20, with a win setting up a New Year’s Eve showdown against Ohio State. Later that same day, Stein and Oregon meet James Madison in their playoff opener.
Kentucky has not yet confirmed the hiring.
— Keith Farmer (@KeithFarmer18) December 16, 2025
However, @CoachBateman talked today ahead of Texas A&M's game in the College Football Playoff about becoming the defensive coordinator for @CoachWillStein and the Wildcats. pic.twitter.com/uqGILl6ubQ
Bateman insists the current Aggies still get his full bandwidth.
“I hope if you ask Tori, Damien, Scooby, Noah they would say nothing’s different,” he said. “I’m spending the same 24 hours a day on football with them… I’m just really focused on winning this game and then the path through the playoff for these kids.”
The Kentucky work happens when the sun goes down.
“When I get home at night, I spend as much time as I can reaching out to Kentucky players… trying to get ready for when that happens.”
It’s a juggling act, but it tracks with how Stein is handling things at Oregon, too. Both coordinators are trying to honor the locker rooms they’re still in while quietly building the one they’re headed to. They also understand they are being evaluated by the fans on how they perform. Should Stein's offense or Bateman's defense look bad, it taints the first impression.
If Bateman delivers a strong playoff run and then walks straight into Lexington with that momentum and that promised defensive autonomy he desires, then Kentucky’s identity on that side of the ball might change faster than anyone expects.