Husky Coach Review: Shephard Brings Lot of Bark and Bite to the Job

Montlake wasn't quite ready for JaMarcus Shephard. While a host of new coaches largely unfamiliar to the University of Washington football team, media and fan base introduced themselves around, Shephard came running out of the Husky Stadium tunnel screaming his head off and doing back flips.

Shephard was the guy you could hear above everyone else at those first 2022 spring football practices for Kalen DeBoer's staff, continuously chattering, complimenting and encouraging while slapping hands, fist-bumping or chest-bumping with everyone..

He was that older man running step for step in drills with the far more youthful Husky wide receivers, hovering around them as if he were a fighter jet providing an Air Force One escort.

Meeting with reporters, Shephard's cackle could be heard echoing through the empty upper decks when quizzed about any of the aforementioned antics or creative coaching tactics.

Of the 11 coaches who picked up where Jimmy Lake's fired staff left off, Shephard — who previously was a wandering gypsy of an assistant who had even spent time at Washington State — showed up at the UW, immediately made himself well known to anyone he encountered and accepted the program's most plum assignment.

The wide receivers.

And not just any wide receivers. Shephard inherited at least three pass-catchers in Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk who could play anywhere in the country.

All-America candidates. All-Pac-12 candidates. Deep threats. Guys who will play on Sunday.

Going through the coaching staff, Shephard is last up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' coordinators and assistant coaches, summing up their time spent in Montlake so far and surmising what might come next for them.

JaMarcus Shephard likes to run with his wide receivers, making them concentrate.

JaMarcus Shephard doesn't just shadow his wide receivers, he provides the same treatment to tight end Devin Culp.

The loquacious JaMarcus Shephard greets wide receiver Jalen McMillan during spring practice stretching.

JaMarcus Shephard offers a stern directive to one of his wide receivers during spring football in April.

JaMarcus Shephard seemingly never has an off day, always extroverted and full of fun, when on the football field.

JaMarcus Shephard and receiver Ja'Lynn Polk share a Husky Stadium moment with a body bump.

JaMarcus Shephard exhorts Ja'Lynn Polk to give his all during this spring practice agility drill.

JaMarcus Shephard loudly passes along his opinions and advice to the Husky receiving corps seated on the bench during a 2022 game.

JaMarcus Shephard is always moving, always chattering, as the Huskies wide receiver coach.

JaMarcus Shephard spent five seasons at Purdue, four as a co-offensive coordinator, working for Jeff Brohm, right, who's now at Louisville.

While there are those of you who caustically will point out he's coaching someone else's recruits, that's exactly what he's doing — and doing it better.

The ill-fated Lake/Donovan pro-style offense failed miserably in trying to highlight the talents of Odunze and McMillan, and the UW actually is as lucky as can be that those two didn't jump ship and flee the burning rubble of the 2021 Husky football team.

Instead, with the DeBoer/Grubb offense installed and Shephard acting as the night watchman, those elite receivers stayed put and took everything up a notch, with Odunze going from 41 to 75 catches in a year's time and McMillan from 39 to 79 receptions.

Somebody gets credit for them and that production, and it might as well be Shephard, with his court-jester, circus-juggling, magic-tricks persona and all.

In a short amount of time, Shephard is now known as one of the nation's leading receivers coaches. No one bemoans the loss of ex-Husky staffer Junior Adams to Oregon any longer, and Adams remains a reputable pass-catchers coach in Eugene, especially now that he's out from under the shadow of the Donovan offense.

Where Shephard is different from Adams is, with all of his infectious energy and personality, he will become a head coach someday, sooner than the other guy.

Who wouldn't want this tireless, fun-loving and demanding person as the face of a college football program somewhere?

The Power 5 game is as much about selling as it is coaching and JaMarcus Shephard brings the total promotional package geared for winning.

JAMARCUS SHEPHARD FILE

Background: The Indiana native was a deep-threat receiver for Depauw, earning Division III All-America honors. For an 8-2 Tigers team as a senior in 2004, he had 70- and 56-yard touchdown catches against Centre and 50- and 57-yard scores against Chicago, among 47 receptions for 815 yards and 7 touchdowns. That earned him a rare Hula Bowl invite as a lower-level player. His coaching resume shows five seasons in the Big Ten with Purdue, the 2016 season alone with Mike Leach in Pullman and four seasons at Western Kentucky, where Junior Adams coached before him.

Big Fix: Germie Bernard. This is not so much a fix as it is a correction. Bernard started quickly for Michigan State last season with a couple of touchdown catches and then disappeared in the offense as the team nosedived. Shephard will want him involved in the Husky offense from start to finish this season.

Special Project: Denzel Boston. With his spindly 6-foot-4 and 207-pound frame, plus his speed and confidence, this redshirt freshman is poised for a lead role in Montlake, most likely in 2024. Shephard needs to keep his development on track.

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