Stein hires Texas A&M's Bateman as defensive coordinator

Kentucky football coach Will Stein has hired Jay Bateman from Texas A&M as his first defensive coordinator with the Wildcats.

Bateman has the same job with Texas A&M with the Aggies seeded seventh and hosting No. 10 Miami on Saturday in the College Football Playoffs.

“His ability to develop players, create disruptive defenses, and consistently compete at a high level has stood out everywhere he’s been,” Stein said Wednesday. “Jay brings energy, experience, and a clear vision for how we want to play defense, and we’re excited to welcome him to Kentucky.”

Bateman’s defense helped Texas A&M go 11-1 and was led by the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell who had a league-high 11 1/2 sacks. Bateman said he remembers coaching with Florida on a road trip to Kentucky in 2023 when the Wildcats beat the Gators.

“With Will Stein being one of the brightest young stars in the profession, it was a major reason I would leave Texas A&M,” Bateman said. “I’m excited to work with one of the sharpest head coaches in the country.”

Bateman was inside linebackers coach at Florida in 2022 and 2023 and was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Carolina from 2019 through 2021. He was defensive coordinator at Army between 2014 and 2018 and had the same job at Ball State 2011-13.