Will Stein continues to impress the college football world since taking over the helm as Kentucky Football’s head coach a few weeks ago.

It’s not only signing talented players that’s catching eyes; Stein is also perfecting his recruiting pitch to lure other coaches away from their current programs to work alongside him in Lexington.

On Sunday, Pete Nakos broke news that former Oregon Ducks standout Dallas Warmack would be joining Stein on the sidelines as an assistant offensive line coach. Warmack was a top player in the class of 2015, committing to Alabama, where he’d play three seasons before transferring to Oregon.

As a Duck, he started 24 of 26 games and earned Pac-12 Third-Team honors as a senior in 2019. After college, Warmack bounced around professionally, including playing in the XFL before transitioning into an analyst role on the Ducks’ staff.

This marks now the third coach who will be in charge of revamping and maintaining UK’s Big Blue Wall. Cutter Leftwich will lead the position group while Warmack and Derek Warehime will contribute in supporting roles.

Shoring up the offensive line is something that’s clearly been a priority for Will Stein and his staff. There’s now no dodging around the fact that there will be no shortage of fingers to point should things not go as planned. The talent is in place with proven mentors to surround them with.

It’s also worth noting that Oregon had a stellar offensive line that competed to be one of the nation’s best during Will Stein’s tenure with the Ducks. If he can replicate that kind of execution in the SEC, then the Cats will already be a leg up from where they were a season ago. If nothing else, it will be refreshing to see a polished unit that looks organized and avoids penalties.

Welcome to Lexington, Coach Warmack.

Tensions flared briefly during Kentucky Basketball’s road matchup at Tennessee, but head coach Mark Pope made sure it never crossed the line.

After the game, cameras caught Kentucky guard Otega Oweh exchanging words with Tennessee forward Jaylen. What started as trash talk quickly escalated when Carey gave Oweh a shove. Brandon Garrison immediately stepped in to have Oweh’s back.

Before anything could spiral, Pope sprinted from the sideline straight into the middle of it.

Grabbing the jerseys of both Oweh and Garrison, Pope physically pulled them away from the confrontation, making it clear that Kentucky wasn’t going to get dragged into unnecessary trouble. Officials quickly intervened as well, and the situation was defused with the only real contact being Carey’s shove.

Since the game was over, the officials could not call any technical fouls or ejections, and it was just a moment of emotion in one of the SEC’s most heated rivalries.

Oweh has become one of Kentucky’s emotional leaders, playing with fire and confidence, especially in big road environments. Garrison, meanwhile, showed the kind of teammate mentality every coach wants by being ready to defend his guy without hesitation.

But Pope’s response mattered most. In a loud, hostile building, one extra shove or one negative reaction could have resulted in the SEC office reviewing the incident, leading to potential suspensions.

Instead, Pope made sure his team stayed focused on getting off the court.

Kentucky went on to win the game against Tennessee, 80-78, in another game that Kentucky had to come back to win. After looking dead in the water three games ago, there’s now reason for hope within the Big Blue Nation.

It was a happy trio at the podium at the Food City Center following Kentucky’s 80-78 comeback win vs. No. 24 Tennessee, their fourth in a row in Knoxville. For the third straight game, the Cats overcame a double-digit deficit to win, 17 points down in the last two. Today, they did it against a ranked Tennessee team, outscoring the Vols by 13 in the second half after being down 11 at halftime.

“We actually felt great going in halftime down 11,” Mark Pope quipped at his postgame press conference. “It’s the first time we’ve only been down 11 in a month, right? So, we felt like we won the first half, which is weird, but it’s the Kentucky way right now.”

Obviously, it would be easier on all of us if the Cats wouldn’t dig themselves into a hole in the first half, but their ability to climb back out has become their defining trait. Pope said the team talked about that in a meeting last night, Collin Chandler sharing a parable about a currant bush he heard in church that describes how you can come back stronger after being cut down.

“I hope people aren’t missing what this group is going through, what this group is trying to endure, what this group is trying to become, and what this group is actually doing on the court,” Pope said. “For three straight SEC games now, coming into halftime down heavy and things looking bad, and everybody being discouraged, except for the players in our locker room, that’s really special, man. So don’t miss it, because it’s a tribute to these guys.”

Yes, it is. You can hear more talk about Kentucky’s slow starts, Denzel Aberdeen’s second-half heroics, and a gritty game by Mo Dioubate below.

More Postgame Content on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.