Contract Details Emerge for Jay Boulware, Fixer of Kentucky Special Teams

Mark Stoops hired Jay Boulware to fix the Wildcats’ special teams. The University of Kentucky is paying him well to make it happen as soon as possible.

On the same day Kentucky announced the addition of Liam Coen, we learned the details of Jay Boulware’s contract. The long-time Oklahoma assistant coach received a three-year deal worth $550,000 annually. Compared to his new peers, he’s in the middle of the pack, just behind Mike Stoops ($675k) and Zach Yenser (650k).

Jay Boulware replaces John Settle as the Wildcats’ running backs coach and takes over a special teams unit that finished 83rd in efficiency, according to ESPN’s SP+. The special teams woes were clear when Iowa consistently flipped the field on Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. Mark Stoops said after the game he hired Jay Boulware to fix those problems.

“100%. Yeah, definitely. We have to turn the table there,” he said in the postgame press conference. “There were games this year where we won the hidden yards in the core four (kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return) but not enough. And there were certainly games that it impacted it in a negative way, and I had to address it, and I did.”

Jay Boulware shared with the media shortly after arriving in Lexington all his special teams expertise entails.

“I coach our snappers, I coach our punters, I coach our kickers, as well as the core (special teams). I have a regiment I go through. You can just look through my history,” he said in December.

His resume is filled with players who went on to excel at the NFL. Boulware’s long-snapper at Auburn, Josh Harris, has earned all-pro honors throughout his 10-year career. He recruited the Raiders’ all-pro placekicker, Daniel Carlson, and also coached Cody Parkey. Austin Seibert was Oklahoma’s first-ever Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year after he set the FBS scoring record for all kickers back in 2018.

“I’m well aware of how to go about getting things accomplished to get what we’re looking for and also bringing a presence in the room that guys can look to and understand this is who’s coaching (special teams).”