(WKYT) – Pete Nochta was named the general manager for Kentucky football on Wednesday.
Nochta steps into the role after serving as assistant general manager since January.
“He’s been an invaluable part of building our roster and establishing the foundation of our personnel operation, and I have complete confidence in his ability to lead that area moving forward,” said UK head coach Will Stein. “Pete has outstanding relationships throughout college football, a great eye for talent and a deep understanding of what we’re building here. I’m excited to see him step into this role and continue helping us build a championship-caliber program.”
Stein’s thoughts were echoed by highers up in the athletics department.
“Pete has been a key contributor to the strong start our football program has made,” said Champions Blue CEO and UK Athletics Director J Batt. “He has helped build a strong foundation in recruiting, roster management and player evaluation, and we’re excited for him to take on this role.”
As part of his new position, Nochta will oversee the team’s personnel operations, player evaluation, recruiting strategy, and roster management.
Nochta, a Lexington native and Tates Creek High School graduate, brings a decade of administrative and recruiting experience, including 10 seasons at Louisville. During his tenure as Louisville’s director of recruiting, he helped land future NFL talents like Mekhi Becton and Tutu Atwell.
He also played tight end at Louisville from 2006 to 2010, where he was a teammate of Stein. He also has deep family ties to UK; his father, John Nochta, lettered for the Wildcats from 1973 to 1976 and later coached high school football locally at Bryan Station.
The promotion follows the abrupt departure of Pat Biondo, who announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon citing personal reasons.
Biondo had been with the program since December 2025 after arriving from Oregon