LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky football team has hired Zach Yenser to be the next leader of the offensive line. He replaces Eric Wolford who left Kentucky after one season for Alabama.
Yenser has been with the San Francisco 49ers for the past three seasons as an assistant offensive line coach. The Niners were 7th in the NFL this season in rushing with 2,166 total rushing yards.
A Kentucky native from Ft. Mitchell, this is an opportunity to come home to the bluegrass for Yenser. His mother, Becky, is a 1979 graduate of UK. He also has a connection to the builder of the Big Blue Wall, John Schlarman. Yenser was a graduate assistant under Schlarman and Neal Brown at Troy University in 2007.
He is well aware of the expectations set for the offensive line at Kentucky saying: “My family and I would like to thank Coach Stoops and the University of Kentucky for this opportunity – an opportunity I don’t take lightly,” Yenser said. “This job just means more. As a Kentucky native and someone who worked for Coach Schlarman, it is a privilege to continue his legacy, success and the building of the Big Blue Wall.”
Mark Stoops said of the hire "He checks all of the boxes and is the total package. He grew up in Kentucky, he's connected to John Schlarman, he has great relationships with people and is well-thought of in recruiting. He has college coaching experience and has spent the last three years in the NFL with the 49ers, an organization I greatly respect. This is a high-caliber hire and I couldn't be more excited to have him coaching our offensive line."
Before he was with the 49ers, Yenser also worked as an offensive quality control coach at Southern Methodist University (2018), three seasons (2015-17) as the run-game coordinator and offensive line coach at Kansas, and various roles at the University of California (2013-14) and Louisiana Tech (2010-12).
