Will Stein Relying on Oregon Ducks Ties to Hire Kentucky Coaching Staff

Will Stein is slowly building up his staff for the Kentucky Wildcats during the postseason while he balances his new head coaching position in Kentucky with his role as the Oregon Ducks’ offensive coordinator. Many names on Stein’s Kentucky staff will look familiar to Ducks fans.

Former Oregon linebacker and former member of the Ducks’ coaching staff, Tony Washington Jr., is set to take the role as the Wildcats’ defensive end and outside linebackers coach. He’s not the only person with Oregon ties reported to join Stein’s new staff, however.

Will Stein Brings Another Former Duck to Kentucky

oregon ducks will stein dan lanning kentucky wildcats recruiting cutter leftwich tony washington offensive coordinator lupoi — New Kentucky Wildcat head coach Will Stein makes remarks as he is introduced at Kentucky on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Washington played for the Ducks from 2010 to 2014 before stints with the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans in the NFL. He returned to Eugene in 2021 as the director of player development.

He became Oregon’s assistant defensive line coach during Dan Lanning’s first season with the program in 2022. He overlapped a year with Stein in 2023 as the team’s outside linebackers coach, before becoming part of the UCLA and Ohio State staffs.

Another member of Lanning’s staff, current assistant offensive line coach and run game coordinator Cutter Leftwich, is set to join Stein in Lexington. Leftwich has helped the Ducks’ offensive line become finalists for the Joe Moore Award for the third straight year, but he is reportedly becoming an assistant coach for the Wildcats offense.

Oregon director of recruiting strategy Pat Biondo is also set to become the first general manager of the Kentucky football program. The coaching tree at Oregon is continuing to expand as Stein is showing how coveted members of the Ducks' staff are with the staff he's building in Lexington.

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Are More Changes Coming to the Oregon Coaching Staff?

Being a successful college football program comes at the cost of continuous coaching changes. Both Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi prepare to exit the program at the end of the postseason for head coaching jobs. Other staff members, like Leftwich and Biondo, are also on their way out for jobs elsewhere.

Lanning spoke about the challenges of having a changing staff during National Signing Day.

“Been very adamant about the fact that my goal is to help people reach their dreams and goals,” Lanning said. “(Stein) obviously grew up spending time in that stadium. His parents both went to school there.”

More coaches with Oregon ties could very well be on their way to Kentucky to join Stein or the California Bears with Lupoi. The Ducks are reported to have already named Chris Hampton as defensive coordinator and Drew Mehringer as offensive coordinator.

“I think, when you're honest from the beginning to the end of, hey, this is what it looks like right now,” Lanning said. “We've got an unbelievable staff. We've had transition here in the past, and we've shown exactly what that looks like when transition happens.

Lanning still has plenty of roles to fill before the 2026 season. Stein also served as the team’s quarterbacks coach, while Lupoi additionally coached the linebackers. The Ducks will have openings at both Biondo's and Leftwich’s positions as well.