Josh Christian-Young has been named Kentucky Football’s new safeties coach, head coach Will Stein announced Friday.
“We are thrilled to welcome Josh Christian-Young to Lexington as our new safeties coach,”
Stein said. “Houston’s secondary has played physical, disciplined football, and they have been productive. That’s exactly the standard we want at Kentucky.”
Christian-Young, known for his expertise in defensive back play, joins Stein’s staff after two seasons in the same position at Houston.
The Cougars finished the 2025 regular season at 9-3 and ranked 21st in the College Football Playoff rankings. They are set to take on LSU in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at 9:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. It marked Houston’s best record since 2021.
Houston’s defense ranked 19th nationally in red zone defense and 37th in defensive efficiency.
In 2024, Houston limited opponents to 188.8 passing yards per game, ranking third in the Big 12. Houston’s 2,266 passing yards allowed were its fewest in a non-COVID season (eight games played) in 30 years (2,160 yards in 1994). UH held opponents under 225 passing yards nine times (15th nationally) and intercepted passes in eight of 12 games, including three against Baylor (Nov. 23), which ranked tied for the fifth most nationally by a Power Four program on the season.
One of the stars on the Cougars’ defense was safety A.J. Haulcy. The junior finished tied for the Big 12 lead in interceptions (5) and was second in passes defended (13). He went on to earn First Team All-Big 12 Conference honors.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” Christian-Young said. “Coach Stein is one of the rising stars in college football with an elite offensive mind. The chance to work with him while reuniting with Jay Bateman makes this an incredible next step. I can’t wait to get started.”
Prior to Houston, Christian-Young coached four seasons as the defensive backs coach at Tulane (2020-23).
In 2023, his unit intercepted a league-high 17 passes, which ranked third nationally. The Green Wave also ranked 19th nationally in scoring defense (18.9 points per game) and 32nd nationally — second in the American Athletic Conference — in total defense (332.7 yards per game).
Under his tutelage, three of his players were named All-AAC honorees in cornerback Jarius Monroe (first team), safety Kam Pedescleaux (second team) and cornerback Lance Robinson (second team). Monroe has gone on to the NFL and played two seasons with the New York Jets.
In 2022, Tulane finished the season ranked second in The American in interceptions with 12. Senior defensive back Macon Clark was named First Team All-AAC and tied for eighth nationally in forced fumbles with three.
Christian-Young’s unit also saw three defensive backs sign as rookie free agents following the 2023 NFL Draft, including Clark, Larry Brooks and Lummie Young IV.
During the 2021 campaign, Christian-Young served as the outside linebackers coach and played a key role in the Tulane defense having players ranked in the top 10 in the conference in passes defended and interceptions.
Defensive lineman Darius Hodges finished with 16.5 tackles for loss, which led the AAC and ranked 13th nationally. Additionally, Tulane’s defense ranked fifth in sacks per game.
In his first season at Tulane in 2020, Christian-Young’s defensive backs played a pivotal role in helping the Green Wave defense rank among the league’s top five in scoring defense, interceptions and redzone defense. His DBs led The American in pass breakups with 42. The Green Wave’s 51 passes defended ranked second in The American and tied for 19th nationally, while their nine interceptions ranked 35th in the nation.
Christian-Young joined the Tulane staff after serving on the Army West Point defensive staff for five seasons (2015-19). He was the quality control defensive coach in 2015 before being promoted to cornerbacks coach in 2017-18 and safeties in 2019. In his five seasons, he helped lead the Black Knights to three straight bowl wins and two Commander-in-Chief’s Trophies.
In 2019, while coaching the safeties, the Black Knights’ defense ranked fifth in the nation in passing yards allowed and 30th in total defense.
During the 2018 campaign, Army ranked eighth in the nation in total defense, limiting opponents to just 295.5 yards per game. The Black Knights also ranked 10th in scoring defense as they held foes to just 17.7 points per game.
In 2017, Army boasted the nation’s 14th-best pass defense unit, and in 2018 and 2019, Christian-Young coached Elijah Riley, Mike Reynolds and Ryan Velez to All-Independent Team honors. Riley inked a free agent contract in 2020 and has played for four NFL teams, most recently the New York Giants (2024).
Prior to his time in West Point, Christian-Young served as the cornerbacks coach at Georgia Southern from 2013-14. During his two seasons, the Eagles finished with a 16-7 record and won the 2014 Sun Belt Championship.
Christian-Young was a strong safety at Central Missouri from 2006-10 where he played under Willie Fritz. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history in 2011 and a master’s in sociology in 2013, while serving as a graduate assistant. He also obtained a master’s degree in higher education administration from Georgia Southern.
He and his wife Kristin have a daughter, Adalyn, and a son, Nolan.
