As one of the leading voices in SEC media, Paul Finebaum is often the man to drop some harsh truth on coaches. Nobody keeps the hot seat popping like the ESPN commentator who is practically master of ceremonies on the annual SEC coaching shuffle. But Finebaum doesn't just share criticism, and in an appearance on The Matt Barrie Show, he threw some plaudits out for his front-runner for the college football Coach of the Year.
Finebaum's Coach of the Year
Asked about the surprising success of Kentucky, Finebaum admitted, "I was playing the percentages yesterday, going, 'There's no way they can do this again.' But I forgot it was Oklahoma they were playing and they did."
Finebaum then threw out laurels for the surprising head coach, saying, "Will Stein is the Coach of the Year." Finebaum continued, "A year ago [Kentucky football] was comatose under a guy who had previously done a good job in Mark Stoops. Give the administration credit for saying, we're not just going to go with the stale bread. We're going down to the corner bakery and get something right out of the oven"
Kentucky and Stein's Sudden Rise
Indeed, No. 12 Kentucky has been anything but stale under its new first-year coach. The Wildcats had failed to reach .500 in either of the past two seasons and Stoops's defense-first approach was no longer being very competitive in the SEC. Kentucky was 3-13 in 2024 and 2025 combined in SEC play.
But Stein, who hailed from Kentucky and whose father played for the Wildcats, was hired over from Oregon, where he had served as offensive coordinator. He has Kentucky off to a 6-1 start, which is the best start for a Kentucky coach in over a century.
Late Heroics Helping Stein
Kentucky won in Weeks 5 and 6 in overtime by identical 35-34 scores after winning the coin toss both times, going on defense first, and then scoring a touchdown and running a successful two-point coversion for a win. Week 7's outcome wasn't quite as suspenseful as Kentucky rallied from behind to best Oklahoma 21-13.
In jumping out to a 6-1 mark, Kentucky finds itself a legitimate player in the College Football Playoff hunt. The current ESPN FPI ratings give the Wildcats a 39.7% chance at making the Playoff. That sort of turnaround has Finebaum singing the praises of the Kentucky coach.
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