Jay Bateman Addresses Texas A&M Departure After Landing New Job

Add defensive coordinator Jay Bateman to the list of coaches that Texas A&M will be losing at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.

Jay Bateman, one of the well-known defensive coordinators the Aggies have had over the years, has helped guide the defense back to one of the most respected in the entire SEC after numerous seasons of struggling in the previous coaching era. He will be joining the newly-hired Kentucky head coach, Will Stein.

"I was really intrigued with Will Stein, the new head coach," Bateman said. "The chance to have autonomy as a defensive coordinator was really important to me. With Will Stein being one of the brightest young stars in the profession, it was a major reason I would leave Texas A&M.”

Coaching Journey

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— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) December 17, 2025

Before moving to College Station, Texas, Bateman was the inside linebackers coach at Florida, a defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Carolina, and a defensive coordinator at Army and Ball State.

"His ability to develop players, create disruptive defenses, and consistently compete at a high level has stood out everywhere he's been," Stein said. “Jay brings energy, experience, and a clear vision for how we want to play defense, and we're excited to welcome him to Kentucky."

This season, the A&M defense has been off to an electric start, posting an 11-1 record, led by a handful of extremely talented athletes, including defensive end Cashius Howell and linebacker Taurean York. Bateman has contributed to developing several collegiate players who have been drafted into the NFL, including Shemar Stewart, Nic Scourton, and Shemar Turner.

In his first season in 2024, Bateman helped the Aggies post the best conference start since 1998, when his defense helped them jump out to a 5-0 record in the SEC. That same season, the defense ranked in the top-35 in tackles for loss and scoring defense, while being third in the conference with 76 passes defended and 16 interceptions.

Luckily, there was mutual agreement that Bateman would remain with the program throughout the college football playoffs, with a date with Miami coming up that he had been locked in on, and he was doing his best to get his troops ready.

“The path through the playoff with these kids is the most important thing,” Bateman said. "I'm spending the same 24 hours a day on football with them. It's a really good team.”

A&M hosts Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, December 20, with the game televised on ABC and ESPN at 11 a.m.