Former Louisville QB ignites new era in rivalry after being named Kentucky’s head coach

Louisville football defeated the Kentucky Wildcats this past weekend, 41-0, forcing the Wildcats to end the Mark Stoops era. Stoops was fired after 13 seasons with Kentucky and has an 82-80 record with the Wildcats, giving him the most wins in Kentucky football history.

The Wildcats joined the coaching carousel, as many Power Four programs have been searching for new head coaches this season, but the Cats struck fast. While Penn State and others search for their next head coach, the Kentucky Wildcats had a quick turnaround, finding their guy and hiring him in just under 48 hours after firing Stoops.

However, the guy they fired isn't just a Kentucky native; he's a Louisville native, and he is a Louisville alum.

Related: Jimbo Fisher hilariously trolls Kentucky with Louisville absolutely dominating

Former Louisville QB named Kentucky’s next head coach

The Cats hired Will Stein, a former Louisville football quarterback from 2009 to 2012. The former Cardinals quarterback will take over as Kentucky's head coach next season, as he is currently the offensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks and will remain the Ducks' OC throughout their playoff run.

After the Ducks' final game of the season, he will quickly turn his attention to his cities and his former college's biggest rival and lead the Kentucky Wildcats. Stein didn't see much action during his four seasons with Louisville, throwing 124-for-210 with a 59.0 completion percentage, 1,273 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and two interceptions.

He attended Trinity High School, where he threw for 3,697 yards and 54 touchdowns, earning the state's Player of the Year honors. The Louisville native and Louisville alum will now turn to his former team's biggest rival, making it feel like this rivalry is only going to get more intense with a Cards alum on the other side.

Stein started his coaching career with Louisville under Charlie Strong, serving as a graduate assistant and helping coach the quarterbacks. After Strong left the Cardinals for Texas, Stein was an offensive quality control coach under Bobby Petrino. He then followed Strong to Texas, and from that point on, his coaching career took off.

Stein is an elite, offense-minded coach, having been Oregon's Offensive Coordinator since 2022. In his years with Oregon, he helped lead many elite quarterbacks, including Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, who were both Heisman finalists.

Louisville stole Vince Marrow from Kentucky, which has sparked a lot of drama recently, and now the Wildcats are making a Louisville native and alum their next head coach. This rivalry is going to get more intense and spark a lot of attention for many years.

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville football's 2025 season and recruiting, stay tuned.