Will Stein says he's talked with Mark Stoops 'a handful of times' since taking Kentucky job

There are no hard feelings between Kentucky football’s former coach and the one now in charge.

In a 31-minute interview on The Zach Gelb Show from earlier this week, Will Stein fielded plenty of questions about life as the Wildcats’ new head coach. Among the topics of discussion was his relationship with the man he replaced, Mark Stoops. As it turns out, Stein and Stoops have chopped it a few times since the transition that happened back in the winter.

“I connected with Coach Stoops when I got the job,” Stein told Gelb. “We’ve talked a handful of times. Not for an extended amount or things. But he expressed to me that he’s in full support of Kentucky. He loves Kentucky. He loves Lexington. He loves the University. He loves this football program. He wants to see it be successful. Knowing that I have that support from the person who I am replacing is huge. You don’t want any animosity.

“I think he sees the direction that we’re heading and he’s really excited about it. I know he’s excited about his new opportunities ahead of himself. But yeah, we’ve had good conversations. I’m very respectful of him and the wins that he was able to have here at Kentucky.”

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Will Stein tells me he’s talked to Mark Stoops a handful of times since getting the @UKFootball job.

Full chat here: https://t.co/pRuGHCKHZz @CoachWillStein #BBN pic.twitter.com/T7wx7acl7X
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) May 8, 2026

It’s nice to hear that Stoops is still cheering on the Wildcats. His time in Lexington didn’t come to the fairytale ending that everyone hoped for, but he still won more games for the program than anyone else in school history. It was just time for a change. Maybe we’ll see Stein bring Stoops out for a game or two at Kroger Field this season? He deserves some cheers from the fanbase.

In his interview with Gelb, Stein also touched on his time at the Kentucky Derby, his taste in music, quarterback Kenny Minchey, his competitive mindset, and much more. Dive into the video below to hear the full conversation.