With Week 8 in the books, the regular season is entering its defining stretch, and the coaching hot seat is getting hotter. While some coaches are fighting to save their jobs, Paul Finebaum has already picked his Coach of the Year. His choice? The former Oregon offensive coordinator who has turned heads this season.
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Speaking with Matt Barrie on October 25, the ESPN analyst suggested that South Carolina’s Shane Beamer could make a late-season surge. But when it came to his Coach of the Year pick, Finebaum looked elsewhere, backing former Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator and current Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein.
“Shane Beamer is going to make a late run, but Will Stein is the Coach of the Year. And anybody else who would be in contention probably had a much better team to start the season than he did,” said Finebaum.
When Will Stein arrived at Kentucky, he inherited a program that appeared to be crumbling from within. The Wildcats had failed to finish either of their previous two seasons with a .500 record, while former head coach Mark Stoops’ defense-first philosophy was no longer delivering the results Kentucky desperately needed in a fiercely competitive conference like the SEC.
Kentucky managed just a 3–13 record in SEC play across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Despite enjoying considerable success with the Oregon Ducks, Stein chose to return to Kentucky, the state he called home.
The connection ran far deeper than geography. With his father having played for the Wildcats, Will Stein had an emotional stake in the program and another compelling reason to rebuild it from within. So far, he has made his intentions crystal clear. Kentucky is 7–1 overall and 5–1 in SEC play, with its only defeat coming against Alabama; this is the best start for the team in over a 100 years.
While he has reshaped the offense and brought a fresh identity to the team, his biggest achievement might be the talent he has recruited.
Kenny Minchey, the former Notre Dame quarterback who flipped from Nebraska to join Will Stein’s Kentucky Wildcats, has wasted little time making his mark. With just one interception so far, Minchey is bringing much-needed stability to a position that has plagued Kentucky, with Wildcats quarterbacks combining for 69 interceptions since 2021.
Under Stein, Kentucky’s offense has improved significantly, climbing from 16th to ninth in the SEC in yards per play. Meanwhile, his former team Oregon’s struggles without him highlight the impact he had on the Ducks’ offense.
Kentucky is averaging 32.9 points and 219 passing yards per game, alongside 167 rushing yards. It marks a significant shift from last season, when the Wildcats relied heavily on their defense.
Their latest 34–17 win over Vanderbilt further underlined why Will Stein’s aggressive approach is paying off. However, despite Kentucky’s impressive 7–1 start, Stein is far from satisfied and has no intention of easing off the gas.
“These guys are hungry, and they’re not satisfied. One of the reasons they came here was to play in big, meaningful games. We want to make it a November to remember,” said the head coach.
A playoff run is certainly within reach if Kentucky can maintain its consistency. However, three consecutive tests against the Tennessee Volunteers, Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers now stand in Stein’s way.
The road ahead is unforgiving, but Stein has built a team capable of taking on the challenge. The question is, can the Wildcats deliver when it matters most?