As a child, Stahl moved around a lot due to his father's work as an airline pilot. He moved with his parents to a farm in Butler County, Kentucky when he was young. He graduated from University High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1970 and Western Kentucky University (WKU) in 1975. At WKU, Stahl served as one of the section editors of WKU's yearbook, The Talisman. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, Eta Rho Chapter.