Oregon expert chimes in on Will Stein and his upside as a head coach

Kentucky decided to fire head football coach Mark Stoops this morning, which means the search is on for Mitch Barnhart. While it is early, it seems Kentucky has a high interest in making Oregon OC Will Stein the next head coach.

Stein grew up in Louisville but was a die-hard Kentucky fan growing up, so the ties to the Bluegrass State are there. Stein is an elite developer at the quarterback position, which has been missing in the Kentucky program for years.

We asked Locked On Ducks host Spencer McLaughlin for his thoughts on Stein and how he would do taking the step from OC to head coach.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as offensive coordinator Will Stein during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Here is what McLaughlin had to say about Stein, "I think the biggest thing with Stein is that his record with quarterbacks, going back to the seasons he had calling plays at UTSA and everything he has done at Oregon, the numbers are just impossible to deny. He's done it with different quarterback styles, different quarterback body types. The development of production at that position has been really good, for obviously, the most important position in all of sports. I think he's a really underrated recruiter. You know Oregon has a great staff of recruiters, but the job that he has done to bring in offensive talent and develop that talent has to be commended as well. I think he very much gives off the impression of being a scheme guy. Somebody that is going to be a great play caller if he keeps doing that as a head coach. I don't know that he would. Lanning was the DC at Georgia, and obviously, Stein learned under him, and Dan Lanning does not call the defensive plays at Oregon. Maybe Will Stein will want to be a CEO style head coach cause that's what he's seen Lanning do. Overall, I think he's fairly prepared for it. He hasn't been at the Power 4 level for a really long time, but when you can combine scheme and recruiting and having learned under a really good head coach in Dan Lanning, I think that's a pretty good place to be."

This quote from McLaughlin should excite Big Blue Nation because obviously, Stein is a great offensive mind, but if he is an underrated recruiter, that is an added bonus.

Stein has done excellent work with quarterbacks during his time coaching and bringing that skill to Lexington would be great for this program. This would be a homerun hire for the Kentucky program, and Barnhart needs to do everything he can to bring Stein back to his home state.