(WKYT) – After practicing his practice on Monday, Will Stein conducted his first full practice on grass as the head coach of Kentucky on Tuesday.
“A lot of really good work out there. A lot of opportunities for all of our players,” Stein said after, in his first post-practice interview with local media. “Players were responsive to coaching.”
“It was a good first day.”
Stein said he his team walked through practice the day before to help alleviate any anxieties for a new staff with new players before the real practices begin.
UK will have 15 spring practices, leading up to the Blue-White game on April 18.
“I just want to see great strain, great commitment, connection within our team,” Stein said. “We’re not trying to reinvent football during spring ball. It really is fundamentals and technique, until we run our base install really well, and do it so well we can’t do it wrong during high-stress levels on Saturdays.”
Stein told reporters that he will not use a depth chart, but will implement a Blue Team and White Team system, which enables players to move up and down. Stein said the system will help with developing players across the board.
“You get to see who can actually go compete and who can make plays without a starting lineup in front of them,” Stein said.
The new coach has three scrimmages scheduled, which includes the spring game.
“We’ll look and see. I have two, plus the spring game, allotted right now,” Stein said. “But, just like anything, you’re always looking at ‘alright, what happened in the first practice? How did we grow to the second one? How do we tweak what we originally had planned based on player work load, based on what we actually need to get done?”
“Three’s on the docket, but that could change.”