The Kentucky Wildcats college football team represents the University of Kentucky in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats compete as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 37 head coaches since it began play during the 1881 season. On December 1, 2025, Will Stein was hired as Kentucky's 38th head coach.
Through the 2025 season, Kentucky has played 1,358 games over 135 seasons. Both the inaugural 1881 squad and the revived 1891 squad have unknown coaches according to university records in winning two games and losing three. Since 1892, eight coaches have led the Wildcats in postseason bowl games: Bear Bryant, Fran Curci, Jerry Claiborne, Bill Curry, Hal Mumme, Rich Brooks, Joker Phillips and Mark Stoops.
Two of those coaches also won conference championships: Bryant and Curci won a combined three as a member of the SEC.
Stoops is the leader in both seasons coached, with 13, and all-time wins, with 72. Fran Curci was the previous leader with 9 seasons coached. Bryant was the previous leader in games won, with 60 victories during his eight seasons with the program. Jack Wright has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .875. Bernie Shively has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .200. Of the 36 different head coaches who have led the Wildcats, Bryant and Jerry Claiborne have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
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