For the last few seasons, Kentucky football has been plagued by an inability to execute when the game is on the line. Think about the terrible 2-minute drill against Ole Miss that the announcers blasted on a nationally televised game. Or what about running the same play twice from within the 5 against Texas?
Will Stein believes he knows exactly what the problem is, and he is completely overhauling Kentucky's practice structure to ensure it never happens again.
Speaking to the media following a live weekend scrimmage, Stein broke down what he and the new coaching staff are doing to ensure Kentucky is prepared for everything this fall. The overarching theme? Making practice so chaotic and situationally dense that Saturdays in the SEC actually feel easy.
Finding "calm within the chaos"
Instead of just running standard offensive and defensive sets, Stein is relentlessly forcing his roster into high-leverage situations.
"We do a ton [of situational football] because that's where the game's really won and lost, right? Got to have it plays. Third downs, red area, touchdowns," Stein explained. "We try to put them in chaotic environments now. So, when fall hits, there is no chaos. We're calm within the chaos."
During their latest scrimmage, Stein put the team through a grueling two-minute, end-of-half scenario with just 1:03 on the clock and a single timeout. He also forced them into a red-zone lockout period and tried to throw different situations at a team that is still coming to gether.
This is high-level, hyper-specific preparation. It proves this staff isn't just rolling the ball out; they are actively training the players' football IQ to be ready when the lights are the brightest.
And Will Stein has been in the College Football Playoff with Oregon, he knows what it takes to actually succeed at the highest level.
Going to the doctor
To make sure these chaotic situations actually translate to winning football, Stein is making sure his team is operating at its peak. He noted that if a player doesn't already know how to run a drill before they step on the grass, "shame on you as a coach."
But the real magic happens in the film room. Stein has a brilliant philosophy for how the team handles their Monday film sessions following a physical weekend scrimmage.
"Monday is what we say we go to the doctor," Stein said. "We're going to check the tape. You go to the doctor for an annual checkup when you're feeling good. You go to the doctor when you're feeling bad. So, regardless of the outcome, watching the tape and trying to see what necessary improvements we have to make."
Whether they won the two-minute drill or got stuffed in the red zone, everybody goes to the doctor on Monday.
So, they create chaos throughout the week, and then on Mondays, they break it down on tape and correct it. Not only is Stein a coach, but now a doctor too.
Kentucky has lost too many games in recent years because it couldn’t execute when everything tightened up. That’s not a talent issue; that’s a preparation issue.
Will Stein is clearly attacking that problem head-on, building chaos into practice so the moments that decide games don’t feel chaotic at all. Now comes the only part that matters: whether that work shows up on Saturdays.