Kentucky Officially Announces Addition of Wide Receivers Coach Daikiel Shorts

After weeks of speculation, it’s officially official: Daikiel Shorts will be the next Kentucky wide receivers coach. The school officially announced his hire four days after FootballScoop reported Shorts was the top candidate for the job. Contract details have not yet been divulged.

“Daikiel Shorts is a young and talented coach who is a great addition to our program,” head coach Mark Stoops said in a statement. “I’ve been impressed by him. He’s got a lot of energy, he’s personable and he’s relatable. The most important thing is that he will be a great mentor to our players. We are excited to get him here.”

Shorts said, “Coach Coen is one of the brightest offensive minds in the game and I’m very eager to learn under him. I’m already so impressed with the young men in the wide receivers room and I’m ready to bring my energy and passion to this place. I can’t wait.”

Only 29 years old, Shorts spent the last three seasons working for Dana Holgorsen at Houston. There he helped Tank Dell become one of the most productive wide receivers in all of college football. In 2022 Matthew Golden set Houston freshman receiving records under Shorts’ watchful eye.

Before he entered the coaching ranks, Shorts was a standout at the Power Five level. He finished his career as a top five in wide receiver in West Virginia football history. Shorts enjoyed a cup of coffee in the league with the Buffalo Bills.

Kentucky has invested heavily into its wide receivers room. There is plenty of talent on the roster. Coen trusts Shorts’ experience to unlock their potential next fall in Lexington. Kentucky’s offensive coordinator did not mention Shorts by name, but yesterday he described in detail what the new coach will bring to Lexington.

“A communicator, somebody that can relate to those guys in a way both on and off the field. Somebody that’s played the position is always very helpful to where the players believe what you’re saying because you’ve done it and you can still demonstrate because you’re young enough and athletic enough to do some of those things. Then obviously the discipline part, being able to really get the room structured the way that we want it to be, get those guys all on the same page and everybody being accountable both on and off the field, academically, socially and in the football building. That’ll be really important.”

He added, “We’re excited about the direction of that room.”

We won’t have to wait long to hear from Shorts. He’s expected to meet with the media this afternoon.