James Shibest ("SHE-best"), a special teams coordinator for the past 25 years which includes the previous two seasons with Barry Odom at UNLV, is in his first season as special teams coordinator at Purdue.
In both of his seasons at UNLV, Shibest mentored a kicker, kick returner and punt returner that earned spots on an All-Mountain West team. Ricky White III was the 2024 Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, while Jacob De Jesus earned the award in 2023. White blocked four punts throughout the 2024 campaign, more than every FBS team in the country. De Jesus was an All-American kick returner, while Shibest also coached kicker Jose Pizano to All-America accolades in his first seasons in the desert.
Shibest's 2024 unit led the nation with five total blocked punts and finished third with five blocked kicks. The Rebels finished third in the Mountain West and 27th in the nation with 4.86 yards per punt return allowed. On the other side, UNLV special teams finished second in the country with 406 punt return yards and 26th with 11.94 yards per punt return.
Shibest is widely considered one of the sport's top special teams minds, having won the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year award at two previous stops. That reputation was only enhanced after directing the best overall special teams season in UNLV history in 2023. The unit boasted two different All-Americans in record-shattering kicker Pizano, a first teamer who was one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, and second teamer De Jesus, who led the nation in total return yards and was one of three finalists for the Jett Award after becoming the school's first-ever Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year. That didn't even factor in punter Marshall Nichols, who under Shibest's mentorship finished sixth in the nation with an average of 47.06, which ranked second in UNLV single-season history behind only Hall of Famer Randall Cunningham's 47.50 in 1984.
Before coming to Las Vegas, Shibest served as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Virginia Tech (2016-21). He moved to Blacksburg after four seasons in the same capacity at Memphis (2012-15). Before that, Shibest spent more than a decade coaching in the SEC, directing the special teams and tight ends for Ole Miss (2008-11) after eight years on staff at his alma mater, Arkansas (2000-07). His extensive resume includes helping 16 different teams reach a bowl game.
Shibest was named the 2017 FootballScoop.com Special Teams Coach of the Year after the Hokies' special teams enjoyed a phenomenal season, tying for the FBS lead with five blocked punts and tying for second in the nation with eight total blocked kicks. Virginia Tech led all Power Five squads by permitting 335 combined punt and kickoff return yards while the Hokies' punt return team ranked second among FBS squads with 413 yards. Under Shibest, punter Oscar Bradburn finished his career at Virginia Tech owning the school's career record (43.5 avg.), and the 2019 Ray Guy Award semifinalist also set a single-season school record with a 46.5-yard average.
At Memphis, Shibest mentored the American Athletic Conference's Special Teams Player of the Year three consecutive seasons. Kicker Jake Elliott earned the honor in both 2014 and 2015, while punter Tom Hornsey shared the award in 2013 before being named winner of the Ray Guy Award, which is annually given to college football's best punter. With Elliott being named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, Memphis was the only school that fall with a semifinalist for both marquee special teams awards.
During his time at Ole Miss, Shibest's special teams were highlighted by an NCAA statistical champion, four All-SEC honorees and two freshman award winners. In his first season with the Rebels in 2008, he was honored as the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com.
Shibest was a member of Houston Nutt's Arkansas staff for eight seasons, where he coached special teams and had stints tutoring tight ends (2000-01, 2006-07) and receivers (2002-05). With the Razorbacks in 2007, Shibest coached SEC Special Teams Player of the Year Felix Jones, who was selected to the Walter Camp and Rivals.com All-America First Team as a return specialist.
Shibest joined the Razorbacks in 2000 after a highly successful four-year stint as head coach at Butler County Community College where he led the Grizzlies to a four-year record of 34-10 and back-to-back national titles (1998-99), earning NJCAA Coach of the Year accolades both seasons.
He began his career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State, coaching receivers in 1990 and running backs in 1991. In 1992, he began his ascent through the junior college coaching ranks as offensive coordinator at Independence (KS) Community College. After coaching the Independence defensive secondary in 1993, Shibest embarked on a two-year tenure as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks/receivers coach at Garden City (KS) CC.
A native of Houston, Texas, Shibest was a prep All-America receiver at MacArthur High School before posting a standout collegiate career as a receiver at Arkansas, earning All-Southwest Conference honors in 1984 and 1986. He amassed a then school-record 1,920 receiving yards on 97 receptions, including 10 touchdowns for the Razorbacks.
Shibest earned his bachelor's degree in business from Arkansas in 1988. He and his wife, Dianna, are the parents of James John III and Jordyn Grace.
