Kentucky Sports Radio — Hour 1 (December 2, 2025)

Main Theme:
A momentous day for Kentucky Wildcats fans as KSR dives deep into the hiring of Will Stein as UK’s new head football coach, recaps the whirlwind of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, and sets the stage for Kentucky’s big basketball matchup against North Carolina—all while enduring relentless fire alarm tests in the studio.

Overview

This episode captures a pivotal moment for UK athletics, as Matt Jones and the KSR crew (Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemond, Shannon Ragland) react in real time to the "lightning fast" hiring of Will Stein as Kentucky’s football coach—just over half a day after Mark Stoops’ departure became official. The crew discusses Stein’s deep Kentucky roots, his offensive pedigree, the local network’s reaction, and how this hire reenergizes the program. All this unfolds with comic disruptions from building fire alarms, lending classic KSR chaos and humor to a historically consequential show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Will Stein Hired as UK Football Coach

• Timing and Speed of the Hire

  • Stoops’ departure was announced late Sunday/early Monday, and within ~14 hours, Will Stein was named the new head coach.
  • Matt:
    “I grade the hiring A. It was 14 hours which is crazy, but I am just really, really happy with what we ended up with.” [06:09]

• Stein’s Kentucky Ties

  • Louisville native whose family were Kentucky season ticket holders.
  • Dad played for Kentucky; personal family and community connections run deep.
  • “We now have a football and a basketball coach that is specifically one of us.” — Matt [06:57]
  • Drew notes there’s even a highlight of Stein’s dad scoring for UK:
    “His dad falling on a fumble in the end zone or something... That video will surface today.” [07:10]

• Recruiting Impact, Program Re-energizing, and Locker Room

  • Hire seen as essential to energize both fans and boosters in the NIL era.
  • Drew:
    “It had to be a hire that re-energized the fan base, got the boosters nil people back on board… and this guy checks all those boxes.” [07:20]

• Stein's Coaching Credentials

  • Offensive coordinator at UTSA and Oregon; developed multiple QBs projected as high NFL draft picks (Bo Nix, Dylan Gabriel, Dante Moore).
  • Lewd praise from Matt’s industry contacts in Oregon.

• Recruiting Connections & Challenges

  • Noted how quickly the process moved, but speculation that talks happened earlier.
    “You’re not going to convince me that in 14 hours they went from, ‘Hello, my name’s Mitch Barnhart. Hello, my name’s Will Stein.’” — Matt [08:01]

2. Community Connections and the “Trinity Era”

• Discussion about Louisville’s Catholic school networks, particularly Trinity High School, acting as an influential, almost “underground” network now coming to UK athletics.
  “Trinity is like a network, an underground society that’s above ground.” — Matt [22:21]
  “This is going to be the era of... the Trinity hotline.” — Matt [23:17]

• KSR's crew marvels at how many Louisville and Trinity alums have local media and coaching ties, all seemingly having Will Stein’s number.

3. Comic Relief: Studio Fire Alarms

• Throughout the show, the crew is interrupted—and driven mad—by persistent fire alarm testing in their iHeart Lexington studio.
• Matt’s escalating frustration becomes a running gag: “This is gonna drive me insane today. I’m gonna have to figure out, all right, how do we get the zen of this fire alarm?” [19:59] “If you could see my face as these things…” [30:37]
• Listeners text in saying they find it hilarious; cohosts note it makes for peak KSR “Best Of” content.

4. Flight Tracking Drama and Speculation

• The KSR crew recounts the previous night’s “airplane drama”—with fans tracking jets on flight apps to deduce whom the administration was interviewing.
• Speculation swirled around whether certain flights were a “smokescreen” or backup plan.
  • “I don’t feel like our people are clever enough to do that. Like, they don’t do that kind of…” — Matt [15:24]
  • Ryan, Drew, and Shannon debate the plausibility of decoy flights, revealing the wildness and paranoia of coaching searches in the social media age.

5. Stein’s Offense and Immediate Future

• The group breaks down Stein’s prolific, up-tempo Oregon offenses and quarterback development prowess.

  • Matt:
    “Oregon’s offense… up tempo, fast paced, they put up a lot of points. I think the development of quarterbacks… is huge for me.” [12:07]

• Discussion of whether Stein should coach in Oregon’s playoff games (they agree it’s beneficial for UK if he does).

  • “As fans, we’re going to get to learn our offense; people are going to say during the game, ‘Offensive coordinator Will Stein going to Kentucky’—people can be like what a great hire.” — Matt [26:56]

• Possible introduction at the Kentucky-North Carolina basketball game is teased (weather/flight-permitting).

6. Fanbase Excitement and Expectations

• Crew agrees Stein gets a “year of grace,” with all noting the positive buzz and patience from fans as he builds his program.
  • “Anytime there’s a new coach, you get an injection of energy… as long as people see positivity, fans, I think will give him certainly a year to get going.” — Matt [33:32]
• Age noted—Stein is 36, making him the SEC’s youngest head coach.

7. Nostalgia and Local Color

• Anecdotes about Stein’s family bakery in Louisville (“Sissy Cakes”); KSR fans are encouraged to go and report back.
• The rivalry and “insider” nature of Louisville’s Trinity/Saint X/Assumption crowd is discussed at length with humor.
• References to old KSR posts where Will Stein was once called “Louisville’s little leprechaun quarterback,” and joking about whether this will come up at the press conference.
  • “Maybe we don’t bring that up at the press conference.” — Matt [39:54]

8. Callers Chime In

• Several callers share excitement, ask about quarterback recruiting (especially keeping Cutter Bowley), and weigh in on how the move plays with the fanbase.
• One caller shares stats on Stein’s effect on quarterback efficiency:
  “Whenever he has a quarterback in their first year with him, they take a huge leap in efficiency... Bo Nix… went from 71% to 78% with Stein.” [48:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Hire:
  “I think if you had gone back four or three months ago and said, ‘Who would you want if Mark Stoops is not the coach at the end of the year?’ You would have said either John Sumrall or Will Stein. So you get one of them.” — Matt, [03:51]

• On Community Connections:
  “Everyone I know with a Louisville number text… Trinity is like a network, an underground society that’s above ground.” — Matt, [22:08 and 22:21]

• On KSR's Own Legacy:
  “There’s a chance you specifically have written something bad.” — Matt [34:26]
  “Well Matt, I don’t look backwards.” — Ryan [34:41]

• On the Fire Alarm:
  "Just so people know, we're in the City Center building in Lexington... Why can't you test it at night?" — Matt [20:13]
  “That's a problem that everybody feels…” — Matt [32:22]

Key Timestamps

• [03:08] – KSR opens with news of the snowstorm and the breaking Will Stein hire
• [06:09] – Matt grades the hire an “A”; reaction from panel
• [06:57-07:20] – Discussion of “one of us” coach and family/Kentucky connections
• [15:20] – Jet flight confusion/smokescreen discussion
• [22:08-22:41] – Louisville/Trinity networking stories
• [26:56] – Should Stein coach Oregon’s playoff games? Consensus: Yes
• [33:32] – Expectations for Year 1 and fan reaction
• [39:13-39:54] – Joking about old KSR posts/“little leprechaun quarterback” nickname
• [48:46] – Caller shares stats on QB improvement under Stein

Tone & Flavor

• Loose, conversational, honest, with classic KSR humor
• Camaraderie among hosts, self-deprecation about the fire alarm chaos
• Unfiltered, local talk—mix of serious sports discussion and social satire

Conclusion

If you missed this episode, catch up for a genuine slice of Kentucky sports history, as KSR navigates the craziness of a coaching hire, local politics, and technical glitches, all while never losing the humor, unity, and passionate fandom that defines the show. Will Stein’s arrival heralds a new era—one grounded in Kentucky roots, up-tempo football, and, perhaps, a little more insider information than ever before.