After reports surfaced yesterday that Justin Burke would be coming back to Kentucky with Will Stein as OC, today a new report says Kentucky's front office is going to look a little different too.
When Stein touched down in Lexington yesterday, all eyes were on the new head ball coach. But eagle-eyed fans noticed he wasn't alone on that plane. There was another figure with him, and thanks to reports from CBS Sports, we now know exactly who that was—and why his presence might be just as important as the head coach himself.
Will Stein is targeting Oregon director of recruiting Pat Biondo for his general manager job at Kentucky, sources tell me and @chris_hummer for @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 3, 2025
Before Oregon, Biondo spent three seasons in the SEC working at Texas A&M. pic.twitter.com/PH1sY85fCU
Reports indicate that Pat Biondo is being targeted for the General Manager position at Kentucky under Will Stein. Biondo, who arrived on the jet with Stein, has been serving as the Director of Recruiting Strategy for Oregon. If Stein can lock this hire down, it is a massive off-field victory before the first whistle is even blown.
Pat Biondo brings an elite recruiting pedigree to Lexington with Will Stein
In the modern era of college football, you cannot win without a roster architect. The days of the head coach managing every single scholarship offer are over. You need a General Manager who understands the transfer portal, NIL valuations, and high school relations. Pat Biondo is that guy.
His resume speaks for itself. He has been a key cog in the machine at Oregon, a program that has become a recruiting powerhouse. Just look at the classes the Ducks have stacked up recently:
- 2025: No. 5 class in the country
- 2024: No. 3 class in the country
- 2023: No. 9 class in the country
That is three straight years of top-10 talent. Before his time in Eugene, Biondo worked for Texas A&M, giving him critical experience in the SEC landscape. He knows what it takes to recruit against Georgia, Alabama, and Texas because he has already done it.
For a first-time head coach like Will Stein, this hire is everything. Stein is going to be pulled in a million directions the next few months: media, donors, game planning, and also coaching Oregon. He needs someone he trusts explicitly to handle the roster management and talent acquisition 24/7. Having someone with Biondo's pedigree and knowledge of the national landscape is a luxury that most rookie head coaches simply do not get.
This signals that Kentucky is serious about building a modern infrastructure. We aren't just hiring a play-caller; we are building a front office. If Biondo is indeed the pick, the talent level in Lexington is about to get a serious upgrade.