Kentucky O-line coach Zach Yenser a ‘little surprised’ to be replaced by Eric Wolford

A day after Kentucky football announced Eric Wolford as the Wildcats’ offensive line coach, the Wildcats’ former O-line coach, Zach Yenser, spoke out about his unexpected exit.

Yenser, who signed a contract extension in December, was effectively replaced in favor of Wolford, who was Alabama’s offensive line coach in the 2022 and 2023 college football seasons. Wolford previously served on Kentucky’s staff in 2021 before he was hired by Alabama.

Once the Crimson Tide hired a new coach, Kalen DeBoer, to replace the retired Nick Saban, Wolford was without a job before being scooped up by Stoops and Kentucky.

REQUIRED READING: Kentucky football reunion: Former assistant Eric Wolford rejoins Mark Stoops in Lexington

“I was a little surprised,” Yenser told YourSportsEdge.com on Tuesday. “That was the first I heard of it. Coach (Stoops) said he was going to make a change. The timing is a new one for me. I signed an extension in December and got whacked in January. But nothing in this business totally surprises me.

“Mark told me he was doing this for the future of the program and he didn’t like how we played in the bowl game and how the future of the room was going. He didn’t initially tell me he was bringing (Eric Wolford) back. I just assumed he was because Wolf was no longer on the Alabama staff.”

Under Yenser in 2023, Kentucky ranked tied for 43rd nationally in sacks allowed (22) and 49th in tackles for loss allowed (68). Alabama under Wolford ranked 122nd in the FBS with 49 sacks allowed and 95th in TFLs (77) in 14 games.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky coach Zach Yenser ‘surprised’ to be replaced by Eric Wolford

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kentucky-o-line-coach-zach-222758293.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2024-01-30 22:27:58

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