WSU hires JaMarcus Shephard to coach inside receivers

When JaMarcus Shephard gets to Pullman, he will have to make all the normal adjustments typical for someone moving from a state known for its horses, its bourbon and its blue grass to the snow-covered Palouse.

A new home, new colleagues and new players all await Washington State’s new inside receivers coach.

But a stranger to pass-heavy offenses, he is not.

Shephard, 32, spent the last two seasons coaching wide receivers at Western Kentucky, which boasted the No. 4 overall passing offense this last season. Shephard’s receivers contributed to one of the Hilltoppers’ best seasons. WKU won 12 games and finished with a No. 24 overall ranking in the final poll conducted by the Associated Press.

Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated was the first to report the news.

This past season Taywan Taylor, a junior, was one of the country’s most productive pass catchers, ranking third-nationally with 1,467 receiving yards, and catching 17 touchdown passes.

Shephard replaces David Yost, who coached inside receivers at WSU for the past three seasons before leaving the Cougars to become the quarterbacks coach at Oregon earlier this month.

He is the second coaching hire made my Mike Leach this offseason. He joins Dave Nichol, an outside receivers coach who was hired to replace Graham Harrell. Like Nichol, Shephard’s immediate focus will likely be recruiting until National Signing Day, which is Wednesday, February 3rd.

Shephard joined the Hilltoppers in 2011 as a volunteer assistant, who worked primarily with the defense. Prior to that he spent four years with the National Center for Drug Free Sport. He was hired by Willie Taggart, and survived coaching transitions to join the staffs of Bobby Petrino and Jeff Brohm.

He played college ball at Division III DePauw University, graduating in 2005. The former receiver still ranks No. 3 all-time at the school with 3,997 all-purpose yards. He was a captain on the football team and on the track and field team.