JerretMcElwain

Jerret McElwain brings a championship pedigree and an extensive background in roster construction to Kentucky, joining Will Stein’s inaugural staff in 2026 as the Wildcats’ Director of Player Personnel.

In his role, McElwain works hand-in-hand with general manager Pat Biondo and assistant general manager Pete Nochta to oversee player evaluation, recruiting strategy and roster management, helping shape the foundation of Stein’s program in the Bluegrass.

McElwain arrived in Lexington after valuable experience at some of college football’s premier programs. Most recently, he spent two seasons (2024-25) at Alabama as the assistant director of player personnel under head coach Kalen DeBoer, contributing to one of the nation’s most talent-rich rosters.

Prior to his return to Tuscaloosa, McElwain spent two seasons (2022–23) at Washington, serving as director of scouting for DeBoer. There, he played a central role in player identification, evaluation and long-term roster planning as the Huskies built a nationally competitive program.

Before his time in Seattle, McElwain was a key figure in Michigan’s recruiting department for three seasons. He joined the Wolverines as a senior recruiting analyst in 2019 and quickly earned promotions to assistant recruiting coordinator (2019–21) and director of scouting (2021–23), gaining experience in every layer of recruiting operations and talent evaluation.

McElwain’s career in personnel began at Alabama, where he served as an undergraduate assistant in player personnel under legendary head coach Nick Saban from 2014–18. That foundational experience at one of the sport’s gold-standard programs helped shape his detailed, process-driven approach to roster building.

Born in Spokane, Washington, McElwain is the son of longtime college football coach Jim McElwain and Karen McElwain. Jim spent nearly 40 years in the coaching profession, including head coaching stops at Colorado State, Florida and Central Michigan.

Because of his father’s career, the McElwain family moved eight times during his childhood. He ultimately graduated from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado.

McElwain went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in consumer affairs from Alabama in 2018.