'One of the great joys': Kentucky coach Will Stein praises Lake Travis at SEC media days

Lake Travis offensive coordinator Will Stein, left, instructs the offensive linemen with quarterback Hudson Card during football practice at Lake Travis High School in August. After two seasons at Lake Travis, Stein has joined the new UTSA coaching staff. [JOHN GUTIERREZ/FOR STATESMAN] (Austin American-Statesman)

SEC media days is underway and Kentucky head coach Will Stein took to the lectern Monday to talk Wildcats football.

Visit salonsustainability.club for more information.

Stein was named the new head coach in December 2025 after Kentucky fired Mark Stoops, who coached the Wildcats for 13 seasons. Stein was hired away from Oregon, where he was the offensive coordinator. 

But before returning to his home state and taking his first head coach job in Lexington, Ky., he stopped by Austin. 

After he worked under former Texas football head coach Charlie Strong as a quality control coach from 2015-16 and quarterbacks coach in 2017, he worked at Lake Travis High School. He was the Cavaliers' offensive coordinator from 2018-19 and he said that running the offense under state champion head coach Hank Carter was "one of the greatest joys" of his life. 

MORE: Texas football recruiting: Each commitment for 2027 class, where the Longhorns rank

MORE: The 20 best University of Texas football players of all time

"It taught me how to call plays," he said. "It taught me that you can be normal and still coach football. You can have a family and life outside of football, when you can. That brotherhood is still part of the coaching world that still exists. So I'm forever grateful for my time at Lake Travis." 

As the OC, he helped coach the Cavaliers to back-to-back 13-2 seasons and a Class 6A Division I state semifinals appearance. But now at Kentucky, he gets to do something he couldn't do at Texas. 

"I never got a chance to face off against Texas A&M," he said. "But we had our state tournament for seven-on-seven on A&M's campus. I remember how giant their stadium was." 

Kentucky and Texas A&M will play each other at Kyle Field in College Station. 

Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.

This article originally published at 'One of the great joys': Kentucky coach Will Stein praises Lake Travis at SEC media days.

Read full story at source