Kendrick Shaver begins his second season as the Cougars safeties and NICKEL coach after joining Mike Leach’s coaching staff in Jan., 2018.
Last season, Shaver’s group of safeties and Nickels combined for six interceptions and 10 tackles-for-loss while helping the Cougar “Speed D” finish fourth in the Pac-12 in total defense, fourth in pass defense and tied for second in takeaways. Shaver saw three of his players finish among the Cougars top-5 tacklers led by first-year starter Skyler Thomas (76) while Jalen Thompson earned All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention after making 67 stops with two interceptions, eight pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Prior to WSU, Shaver coached seven seasons at Utah State, the final two as the co-defensive coordinator. Throughout his time at Utah State, Shaver spent six seasons coaching in the secondary before working with outside linebackers in 2017. During his seven years at Utah State, Shaver was part of a Utah State program that played in a school-record six-straight bowl games, to go along with a 2012 Western Athletic Conference championship.
Each of the past two seasons the Aggie defense has ranked among the top 20 nationally in passing yards allowed, finishing the 2017 seasons 19th at 182.5 ypg. The USU defense has another similarity with recent Washington State defenses: turnovers gained. In 2017, the Aggie defense gained 29 turnovers, which ranked sixth nationally. That figure was one better than WSU’s 28 turnovers gained, which ranked ninth.
Throughout his seven years on the Aggies’ defense staff, Utah State’s defense has been at or the near the top of the Mountain West Conference and among the top third of the national leaders in several categories. In 2013 and 2014, the USU defense ranked seventh and 12th, respectively, in scoring defense.
During his time at Utah State, Shaver, who was named FootballScoop.com’s Co-Defensive Backs National Coach of the Year in 2012, mentored current NFL player Nevin Lawson of Detroit. He also has coached All-Americans Will Davis (2012) and Lawson (2013), while two Utah State cornerbacks have been selected in the NFL Draft: Davis in the third round (93rd pick) of the 2013 NFL Draft by Miami and Lawson in the fourth round (133rd overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by Detroit.
Prior to joining Utah State’s staff, Shaver spent four years (2007-10) as the secondary coach at Northern Colorado. Shaver was also the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (2006), and defensive and special teams graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky (2004-05). He began his coaching career at Hillcrest (Mo.) High School, where he coached defensive backs and wide receivers in 2002.
A native of Eufaula, Okla., Shaver played two seasons (1998-99) at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College before transferring to Missouri State, where he was a free safety and cornerback in 2000 and 2001. With 11 pass breakups in 2001, Shaver is presently tied for No. 6 on MSU’s single-season pass defense list. Shaver spent the 2003 season playing for the Sioux Falls Storm of the NIFL before coaching full-time.
Shaver, who graduated from Missouri State with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2002 and went on to earn his master’s degree in physical education in 2005 from Eastern Kentucky, served an NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Oakland Raiders in 2014.
