Kentucky coach has wild suggestions for fans ahead of Alabama game

First-year Kentucky head coach Will Stein didn’t ask for polite applause Saturday. He requested flasks, four-letter words and a crowd hoarse enough to call in sick Monday.

Speaking Thursday on Kentucky Sports Radio ahead of the Wildcats’ SEC opener against No. 12 Alabama, Stein sketched a plan that sounded more like a tailgate manifesto than a coach’s pep talk.

“I want them in there 45 to 30 minutes before, in their seat, standing up, screaming obscenities at our opponent, making them feel very unwanted in Kroger Field and creating an environment of excellence for Kentucky football,” Stein said, via the New York Post. “I want to see insane fans in the stands as well.”

Concession lines empty seats. Stein’s workaround was vintage.

“Sneak a flask in. Again, do whatever you got to do, right? Get your drinks ready. Sit in your chair, all right, and start cheering. And then once you’re done with the drink, go back in as fast as you can, and come right back out,” he said.

Volume reflects confidence, he tells his players. He wants that roar hitting Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell on his first road start and creating false starts.

Kentucky opened 45-13 over Youngstown State. Alabama beat East Carolina, 48-10. The Tide lead the series, 39-2-1, with Kentucky’s last win in 1997 when Stein was in elementary school.

Stein later posted that fans should “be respectful of everyone in the stadium,” noting legal drinks exist inside Kroger Field. The assignment remains: Bring the noise, maybe the flask, and make it the loudest 65,000 people in the history of the world.