Kentucky football head coach Will Stein announced the addition of General Manager Pat Biondo, Assistant General Manager Pete Nochta, and has retained Josh Pruitt as director of operations, he announced Tuesday.
Biondo (pronounced bee-ON-doe) comes to the Bluegrass after spending four years at Oregon as the director of football recruiting strategy. He joined the program in 2022 and helped the Ducks bring in four consecutive top-15 ranked recruiting classes, including the No. 3 class in 2024, according to 247Sports.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Pat as our new general manager,” Stein said. “He has a relentless work ethic and a clear vision for what it takes to build a team and a successful program. His ability to connect with people and bring out the best in those around him makes him a perfect fit.”
Prior to Oregon, he spent three seasons at Texas A&M as the senior assistant of recruiting and operations. With the Aggies, he assisted in bringing in three classes ranked in the top 10, according to 247Sports. The 2019 class was No. 4.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be named the general manager for Kentucky football,” Biondo said. “Each of my previous stops had helped prepare me for this role by giving me a broad perspective on roster management, recruiting, and building a sustainable program. Kentucky has a strong foundation and a clear vision, and I’m excited to work alongside Coach Stein and our staff to help build a roster that reflects the culture of Kentucky Football.”
Biondo’s athletic career began at his alma mater, West Virginia. He spent nine years on the staff of the Mountaineers’ women’s basketball team, serving in various roles such as video coordinator (2010-12), special assistant to the head coach (2012-15) and director of basketball operations (2015-19).
A native of Clarence, New York, Biondo, graduated from WVU in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in athletic coaching. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in educational leadership from the College of Human Resources and Education at WVU.
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Nochta (pronounced KNOCK-ta) joins the Kentucky Football program after 10 seasons at Louisville. For the last four years, he served as the director of recruiting for the Cardinals. While in that role, he recruited notable names to the program, such as wide receiver Tutu Atwell, offensive lineman Mehki Becton, wide receiver Chris Bell, tight end Cole Hikutini and defensive back Quincy Riley.
“I’ve known Pete a long time and he’s an outstanding addition to our program,” Stein said. “He’s experienced, detail-driven, and committed to doing things the right way. I’m looking forward to the impact he’ll make from day one.”
Prior to his position in recruiting, he gained experience as the director of high school relations for one season (2018) and the director of on-campus recruiting for two years (2016-17). He began his stint at UofL as a graduate assistant for tight ends (2014).
In addition to his time at Louisville, Nochta had two other stops as a graduate assistant – at Purdue in 2012 and Western Kentucky in 2013. He also served as the offensive quality control coach at Purdue in 2011.
“I’ve known Will most of my adult life,” Nochta said. “I know his heart, his character, the person he is, and how much he cares about people. He’s also the ultimate competitor, and he instills confidence in everyone around him.
“Another reason I’m excited to be back is so I can be closer to my parents, and they can see their grandson grow up. Having the chance to come home, where I grew up, and be a part of what Will is building is so special and something I couldn’t pass up. To leave a place I’ve been for 10 years, tells you how much I believe in Will Stein.”
During his coaching days, Nochta helped develop several players who later reached the NFL, including Hikutini at Louisville, Keith Towbridge, Charles Standberry, Gerald Christian at Western Kentucky, and Tyler Higbee, Mitchell Henry and Gabe Holmes at Purdue.
Nochta drew on his playing experience to strengthen his coaching expertise. He was a tight end for the Cardinals from 2006-10, was a teammate of Stein, and was a member of the 2007 Orange Bowl squad. He played in 35 career games and totaled 11 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
He also excelled in the classroom, earning All-BIG EAST Academic honors four times. Additionally, he was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, providing input on the student-athlete experience. He graduated from UofL in 2010 with a degree in business administration.
Nochta is quite familiar with the city of Lexington as he attended Tates Creek High School from 2003-06 and his father, John, was a UK football letterwinner at Kentucky from 1973-76, before serving as a student coach for the Cats under head coach Fran Curci in 1977. John went on to become the head football coach at Bryan Station High School, where he took the Defenders to the 1999 Class 4A state finals and concluded the 1999-2000 season with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Coach of the Year honor. He also served as the principal at Henry Clay High School.
Nochta and his wife, Alyssa, a UofL cheerleader from 2009-2012, have one son, CJ.
Nochta also brings a singular and compelling perspective to his work, shaped in part by his highly publicized bout with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015; he remains in remission today.
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Pruitt will enter his 14th season at Kentucky and his sixth as the director of operations.
He moved to his current role in 2020, after spending the 2019 season as the director of player personnel. He also served as a quality control coach for the defense in 2018 and was a graduate assistant for the Wildcats prior to that.
Pruitt came to Kentucky in 2013 from Kilgore Junior College where he was the assistant head coach. Under Pruitt’s tutelage, Kilgore went 8-3 in 2012 and earned an invitation to the inaugural Brazos Valley Bowl at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
He played two seasons (2003-04) at Garden City (Kan.) Community College before transferring to Troy where he was a member of the 2006 Sun Belt championship and the 2006 New Orleans Bowl championship team.
After his playing days, he served as a graduate assistant at Troy for three seasons, helping the Trojans win three straight Sun Belt Conference championship titles (2007, 2008 and 2009). He also had coaching stints at Catholic University in Washington D.C. and East Mississippi Junior College in Scooba, Mississippi.
Pruitt received his undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in criminal law, both from Troy in 2006. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Kentucky in 2015.
The Ellsworth, Kansas, native is married to the former Allison Farrington of Andalusia, Alabama, and the couple has two children, a son, Cannon, and a daughter, Oakleigh.
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