Joe Sloan to join Will Stein's Kentucky football staff, per reports

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Kentucky football coach Will Stein is hiring former LSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.

Sloan spent four years with the Tigers under coach Brian Kelly, who was fired on Oct. 26, a day after a 49-25 loss to then-No. 3 Texas A&M. Sloan’s firing was announced by LSU on Oct. 27.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Sloan will be the Wildcats’ playcaller and is Stein’s first on-field hire.

There were previously reports that Justin Burke, Texas-San Antonio‘s OC the past three seasons, would be UK’s new offensive coordinator. Burke took over as the Roadrunners’ playcaller when Stein departed for the same position at Oregon. Burke, like Stein, is from Kentucky, and the two played together at Louisville.

While in Baton Rouge, Sloan tutored Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. In 2024, LSU’s offense ranked among the top 10 nationally in passing offense and among the top 25 in total offense.

Sloan’s coaching career began at South Florida (2010-12) in a quality control position then a graduate assistant role. He spent the next nine years at Louisiana Tech before making the jump to SEC football.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Stein plans to hire Pat Biondo as the Wildcats’ general manager. Stein and Biondo have worked together at Oregon; the former has been the Ducks’ offensive coordinator since 2023, while the latter is the program’s director of recruiting strategy.

During Stein’s introductory news conference Wednesday, he admitted he couldn’t publicly identity his GM just yet.

But he was confident.

“We’re going to have the best general manager in the country being here with me,” Stein said.

This story will be updated.

Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com and follow her on X @petitus25. Subscribe to her “Full-court Press” newsletter here for a behind-the-scenes look at how college sports’ biggest stories are impacting Louisville and Kentucky athletics.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Will Stein adding Joe Sloan to Kentucky football staff, per reports

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