The first hire on Will Stein’s Kentucky football staff will be another familiar face for local fans.
Former Lexington Catholic star Justin Burke, who played college football at N.C. State and Louisville, is Stein’s pick for offensive coordinator. The news was first reported by TexasFootball.com on Tuesday and confirmed by the Herald-Leader on Wednesday. The hire has not been finalized.
Burke has spent the last six seasons on the staff at Texas San Antonio. He first joined UTSA as an offensive analyst in 2020 while Stein was on staff there. He eventually replaced Stein as UTSA’s offensive coordinator after Stein left for Oregon. Burke has coached tight ends and quarterbacks there.
Burke was named Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Lexington Catholic in 2005. He also won the Class 3A state championship that season, breaking the state record with 62 touchdown passes to go with only six interceptions and 3,789 yards.
Burke picked N.C. State over UK, which already held a commitment from Henderson County quarterback Will Fidler in his class, and U of L in high school. He spent two seasons at N.C. State, including a redshirt year in 2006, before transferring to Louisville, where he appeared in 13 games across the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
With Burke calling plays, UTSA ranked 23rd nationally in points per game (33.8) and 44th in yards per game (413.6) this season.
Former Lexington Catholic quarterback Justin Burke has spent the last six seasons on the staff at UTSA. UTSA Athletics
The highlight of UTSA’s season was a 48-26 upset of Jon Sumrall’s Tulane, which could clinch a playoff spot as the fifth-highest ranked conference champion with a victory in the AAC title game Friday, in October. UTSA totaled 523 yards in that game, including 391 through the air with five passing touchdowns.
Stein has not specified whether he plans to call plays himself as head coach at Kentucky, but regardless of that decision, Burke’s presence gives him a top lieutenant who is deeply familiar with his preferred offensive scheme. Having a Lexington native on campus could also be important in helping recruit transfers who become available while Stein is balancing time between serving as Oregon’s offensive coordinator in the playoff and building his first UK staff and roster.
It appears there will be at least one other familiar face on Stein’s first UK staff.
CBS Sports reported Wednesday that Stein was targeting Oregon director of recruiting Pat Biondo as his UK general manager. Biondo previously worked on the support staff at Texas A&M.
Jon Hale
Lexington Herald-Leader
Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the Herald-Leader in 2022 but has covered UK athletics for more than 10 years. Hale was named the 2021 Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year.
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