Kentucky football is set to welcome a quartet of new assistants as head coach Will Stein begins shaping his first full staff. The moves come as the Wildcats prepare for the 2026 campaign, with an eye toward bolstering both on‑field performance and recruiting pipelines.
A Strategic Overhaul for the Wildcats
Dillon Sanders, who previously served as a defensive assistant from 2016 to 2018, returns to Lexington and will now coach the inside linebackers. His second stint with the program adds continuity and deep familiarity with the defensive scheme.
Rob Snyder joins the defensive line staff after brief stops at Illinois State and two seasons at Nicholls State, where he helped construct one of the top FCS defenses. His experience in building aggressive front lines is expected to reinforce the Wildcats' interior front.
Leah Barnard has been promoted to assistant director of recruiting, overseeing on‑campus recruiting operations. In this role she will coordinate visits, manage relationships with high‑school coaches and expand the program's footprint across the region.
John "Hova" Herron arrives as acquisition coordinator, bringing nearly three decades of coaching and talent‑evaluation experience. Most recently he served as a scouting consultant at Texas and directed recruiting efforts at Louisville, giving him a broad network of prospects.
The new staff will make its public debut when the Wildcats open the 2026 season on September 5 against Youngstown State. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff and will be streamed live on the SEC Network+.