HC Dan Lanning’s successful Oregon program is feeling the first effects of a coaching shakeup elsewhere. Will Stein has been the head coach at Kentucky for just 10 days, and he’s already making rivals nervous by raiding the staff of a College Football Playoff contender. Raiding the Ducks opens a Pandora’s box of potential poaches from his old stomping ground.

According to a report, Dan Lanning’s assistant offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Cutter Leftwich, is set to join Stein’s camp. CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer reported that the SEC program has finalized the hiring and will serve as an offensive assistant for Will Stein. In hindsight, the move was bound to happen. Leftwich has ties to Stein that go way back to the duo’s UTSA stint.

Leftwich played as a center for UTEP and later McNeese State. After ending his college career, the now Kentucky assistant began as a graduate assistant in 2021 at UTSA. And there he met Will Stein. Notably, Stein was the UTSA wide receivers coach from 2021 to 2021 and later became the team’s co-OC and QBs coach in 2022. Although Cutter left for UCLA in 2022, working under Chip Kelly, the Stein connection remained ripe.

Oregon came calling for Cutter in 2023, and Stein again took him under his wing as a support staff. But soon after, Cutter moved to North Texas in 2024 to widen his career trajectory. Thanks to Stein, Oregon came calling again in 2025, elevating him to run game coordinator and assistant OL coach. In Eugene, Cutter helped Dan Lanning to a top-20 running offense.

Plus, he also oversaw the development of players like Noah Whittington and Jordan Davison, both of whom have been the engine of the rushing offense. Factor in that Cutter also oversaw the recruitment of players like Tommy Tofi and Koloi Keli in 2026. Losing him now looks to be a major blow for Dan Lanning.

Likewise, Leftwich helped Josh Conerly Jr to become a first-round NFL draft pick. Moreover, who can forget Duck’s 2026 legacy recruit Immanuel Iheanacho, whom Cutter helped commit to Oregon?

“Coach [A’lique] Terry, coach [Dallas] Warmack, coach Cut [Cutter Leftwich], coach [Ryan] Walk, all those guys just had Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round [of the NFL Draft], so that’s pretty big,” said Ihenacho upon committing to Oregon. Leftwich and Stein have three years of relationship together, working in sync, and that will help massively in Lexington. But Leftwich is just one hire; Stein also hired his safeties coach today, from a Big 12 program.

Will Stein hires two more coaches after sealing Cutter Leftwich

The University of Kentucky is aiming to remove doormat finishes in the SEC by hiring Will Stein. The new head coach in 10 days has done an overall good job, bringing in Joe Sloan as the team’s OC and Jay Bateman donned the DC role. According to reports, Stein has sealed another hire today of Houston safeties coach Josh Christian-Young. The secondary built by Young has been pivotal for Houston in reaching a 9-win season.

The coach also helped Houston limit 5 teams to 17 points or less and helped the Cougars to a 28th-place finish in passing defense in 2024. With the hire, Stein looks serious about delivering on his promise to revive Kentucky.

“Our plan is to light up the scoreboard. There’s no reason why we can’t be successful here. Zero. The goal is to win now, not five years from today,” said Will Stein in his introductory statement. That’s exactly what Stein is doing. He’s hiring the “right coaches” even if it means upsetting some friends, banking on him calling them in Lexington.

“I’m going to lose friends in this because there’s a lot of really good coaches out there. A lot of them, but it’s about getting the right fit — the right fit for Kentucky,” said Stein.

So far, the head coach has finalized several hires, including poaching the Ducks’ former Director of Recruiting, Pat Biando. Apart from that, the head coach has now also finalized his WRs coach, hiring Joe Price III. Price also has UTSA roots and comes after spending the last six seasons at the program. While expecting fireworks in Kentucky in 2026 might be a big ask. But don’t mind if it happens!!