Stein Building UK Program Focused on Connection and Accountability

Despite the fact that he had never been a head coach, Kentucky’s Will Stein had a clear vision of how he would go about building a staff and a team. And he has spent his first seven months in Lexington building the UK program using that process.

Stein spoke to the media at the 2026 Southeastern Conference Football Media Days on Monday in Tampa. He outlined part of the vision he’s using at UK.

“We’ve laid a really strong foundation and our players have embraced the work,” Stein said. “The DNA that we built within Kentucky football centers on connection. As a coaching staff, the first thing that we had to do was develop a real connection with these players.”

“A connected team is a dangerous team” – @CoachWillStein pic.twitter.com/9z7KxKFIcY

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) July 20, 2026

Why is connection so important?

“A connected team is a dangerous team,” Stein said. “They typically play the hardest the longest. Our guys needed to get to know each other. They had to. They needed to feel a coaching staff that actually likes coaching with each other. That’s huge. And they needed to feel a connection to the Big Blue Nation, to our fans, and how passionate they are.”

The connection is not something that ever stops, and Stein will continue to develop that as they year progresses.

“I really believe we’ve built a strong connection up to this point,” he said. “We will continue to grow together throughout the season.”

Stein also wants his team, which includes 45 newcomers, to be tough.

“This is going to be a tough program,” Stein said. “Football is the toughest game played by tough men. It’s physically demanding and mentally exhausting. But guess what? Life is tough, too. I’ve already accepted myself that there will be tough moments this season. Our response as a team will dictate the outcomes.”

The new UK head coach also wants his team to take responsibility and to be held accountable both on and off the field.

“I cannot wait to fight adversity with this team,” Stein said. “Our process on the field also centers around accountability. Do your job. It takes all 11 being on the same page in all three phases for us to maximize success. We first have to learn to not beat ourselves as a team. That’s number one.”

How does a team get to that point?

“It takes elite focus and preparation,” Stein said. “So far, our players have done a great job learning our system and our scheme and how we practice. That accountability extends to the classroom, too.”

He may be a first-time head coach, but Stein’s vision is clear and he’s using it to develop his first Kentucky team.