Kentucky’s new staff keeps adding familiar faces who fit a clear offensive vision. The latest piece: Kolby Smith, who is set to become the Wildcats’ new running backs coach, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
If the name rings a bell, it should. Smith was a standout running back at Louisville from 2003–06 before playing in the NFL, and he’s quietly built a strong résumé as a developer of backs in both college and the pros. His hiring continues a theme with Will Stein’s staff: bring in guys he trusts, who share his offensive DNA, and let that cohesion build something big.
At Arkansas this season, Smith took over play-calling duties as interim offensive coordinator after Sam Pittman was fired, and he still managed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher in a broken year. Before that, he spent time at Rutgers working with Isiah Pacheco and was on staff at Louisville during the Lamar Jackson explosion, helping shape complementary backs in a high-powered attack.
Why Kolby Smith fits exactly what Will Stein wants for Kentucky football
Go back even further and you find Antonio Andrews posting more than 1,700 rushing yards at Western Kentucky in 2013 under Smith’s guidance. Then there’s the NFL experience: four seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2020–23, where he saw how modern backfields are built, rotated and deployed over long seasons.
For Kentucky, this is exactly the kind of hire you want behind an offensive head coach like Stein. Smith has proven he can get a feature back over the thousand yard mark in the SEC. He worked under Bobby Petrino whose offense will be similar to Will Stein's, and he has an NFL background.
He also checks a quiet but important box: he understands this region. He played his college ball in Louisville. He knows how the in-state rivalries feel and what it takes to recruit the area. He will fit right in with the idea that Stein wants to try and lock up the state. He wants the best players in the state to come to Kentucky.
Stein also wants a backfield that can hit explosives but also keep the chains moving in his tempo-based system. Smith’s track record says he can build that room, develop it, and plug it seamlessly into an offense that plans to live in the end zone.
To see how the rest of the staff is shaping up, you can click here.