In the process of establishing his 'cred....it makes Oregon look that much more attractive.

While making his debut at SEC media days on Monday, Kentucky coach Will Stein was asked how the program can “win big” under his watch. His answer was simple: because of his background.

Stein arrived at UK after spending the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Oregon under Dan Lanning. During their time together, the Ducks were among the top offenses in the country and made back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances the last two years.

Now at Kentucky, Stein said he knows how to win at the highest level while also pointing to Oregon’s recruiting success. As a result, he has confidence Kentucky will be able to win big.

“I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “Because of me. I think I know what it takes. I’ve seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level. You’ve just got to believe, man. You’ve just got to put the ball down and play. There’s not really [much] else to be said.

“Is it going to happen overnight? I don’t know. I really don’t. If I had a crystal ball, everybody in this room would be really, really rich right now. I don’t. The best determination of if what you’re doing is working is putting the ball down and playing football.”

During Stein’s time at Oregon, the Ducks were a perennial Top-25 offense in the country, even after making the move to the Big Ten. Last season, their 452.2 yards per game ranked 16th in the nation, and their 36.9 points on average tied for the 10th-best in FBS.

However, Will Stein knows it might not be linear at Kentucky, and there could be some challenges that come along the way. But he’s already preparing himself for those moments.

“There’s going to be bumps in the road. … I am prepared for tough moments and tough times,” Stein said. “I’ve succumbed to that in our process. I already do self-talk myself about, alright, how can I stay neutral? When stuff’s bad, I can stay as neutral as possible and be very diplomatic in my approach. That’s why.

“Growing up a fan is great, it is one thing. But I know the players that we can get here. I know that we can recruit north, south and east. People come to Lexington will love it. The longer I live there, the [more] I’m like, ‘Wow, this place is incredible.’ … That’s why I’m excited. That’s why I believe. Or else, I would’ve stayed at Oregon, coached Dante [Moore] and stayed out there.”

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He learned a ton at Oregon as...he is saying all the right things for the fans!

I don't know, it doesn't quite land the same as it does with Lanning's Oregon. Maybe you have to be a Kentucky fan to get the vib?

Sorry Will, Kentucky isn't Oregon and you aren't Lanning. Hope you prove otherwise though. Would love to see you tear up Bama, Texas and Okie along the way for sure.

"Because of me." Will's exactly where he belongs.

I Just Mean More! 🫤

Hopefully Willie's 1st play call will turn out better than the call in Atlanta.

Unless Will is trampled on the sideline, how could it turn out any worse? 🤬

Hope he is happy with 4 wins at best.😄

28 minutes ago, Log Haulin said:

Would love to see you tear up Bama, Texas and Okie along the way for sure.

He could be a spoiler in the SEC...and perhaps create an unexpected loss or two that ends up helping a Big-10 team get into the 12-Team Playoff?

I know another former Oregon coach who did well there... (But not overnight)

Interesting.

We were successful before Will. Some would argue we were successful despite WS. I think it’s most accurate to say we didn't slip under his watch...but IMO it’s a big leap to think we were good because of him and his genius will translate to any dumpster fire program.

Guess we’ll find out!

Edited Monday at 09:52 PM2 days by JabbaNoBargain

2 hours ago, 1Ducker1 said:

Hope he is happy with 4 wins at best.😄

In how many seasons?

He had a decent haul from the portal, especially on the O-line.

Projected starter at QB, Kenny Minchey Jr, couldn't win the QB job at Notre Dame, but he pushed CJ Carr for the starting job.

2026 Wins - Youngstown State and South Alabama.

Kentucky plays Bama, LSU, Vanderbilt, Florida, and Louisville at home.

South Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri could be winnable road games.

Stein led top 5 offenses 3 years in a row, and had the best cumulative scoring average for those 3 years in the country. We all got tired of the bubble screens. But you can't argue with the results. We've been great on offense under Stein and sent more offensive players to the league than we ever had before. I hope he kills it in the sec and I'll be cheering for his success.

Just think, the better Stein does, the better Lanning looks, and the easier it will be for the Ducks to acquire the best coaches, and the best players, in the future.

CBS Sports' Brad Crawford lifts his stein to Will -

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kentucky-2026-outlook-will-stein-sec-media-days-kenny-michey/