When Mark Stoops and Kentucky parted ways, it felt like the program got dropped into a coaching carousel blender. Within hours, two names emerged at the top of the list: Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. On paper, it was a coin flip. Both young. Both “offensive guys.” Both with real résumés and real upside.
Some fans loudly preferred Hartline. The Kentucky ties through his brother Mike. The wide receiver factory he helped build in Columbus. The recruiting chops. It all made sense.
Then Mitch Barnhart chose Stein, and Hartline eventually took the USF job.