James Shibest

Coaching Highlights

•    Regarded as one of the nation’s top special teams coaches, Shibest enters his sixth season serving as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Virginia Tech. 

•    Based on proprietary data provided by SportsSource Analytics, Tech’s overall special teams units rank fifth among FBS squads since the start of the 2017 season. 

•    Over the past three seasons, SportsSource Analytics ranks the Hokies as having the top kickoff coverage unit in the nation under Shibest’s direction. 

•    Shibest’s reputation for developing some of college football’s top specialists has been further solidified during his tenure in Blacksburg.  

•    P Oscar Bradburn finished his career at Tech owning the school’s career record (43.5 avg.). In 2019, Bradburn was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist and set a single-season school record with a 46.5-yard average.  

•    Current Carolina Panthers K Joey Slye (2016-17) played his final two seasons under Shibest, departing Tech with school career records for scoring (403 points) and made FGs (78). 

•    Slye led all ACC kickers and set a single-season Tech record for a kicker with 118 points in 2016, as he hit 20 of 27 FGs (74.1%) and converted 58 PATs.  

•    K Brian Johnson followed Slye and concluded his career with 293 points to rank sixth in Tech annals, while his three made FGs from 50+ yards in 2020 set a school record. 

•    Tech’s return game has also flourished under Shibest. RB Khalil Herbert averaged 26.9 yards per kickoff return in 2020, the fifth-best mark for a VT player over the past 25 seasons. 

•    TE James Mitchell has continued Tech’s standard of exemplary tight end play under Shibest, scoring 11 total TDs over the past two seasons. He is the latest in a lineage of players at that position that includes NFL draftees Dalton Keene and Bucky Hodges. 

•    K John Parker Romo has registered 84 touchbacks as Tech’s kickoff specialist over the past two seasons. 

• Tech hasn’t surrendered a touchdown on a punt or kickoff return over the past two seasons, while the punt coverage has downed 36 punts inside the 20 over that span. 

•    Added another chapter to Tech’s legacy of special teams excellence in 2018, scoring two TDs on blocked punts.   

•    Tech ranked sixth among FBS squads in 2018, permitting only 350 combined punt and kickoff return yards. 

•    Was named the 2017 Special Teams Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.com.

•    Tech’s special teams enjoyed a phenomenal season in 2017, tying for the FBS lead with five blocked punts and tying for second in the nation with eight total blocked kicks. 

•    The Hokies led all Power Five squads in 2017 by permitting 335 combined punt and kickoff return yards. Tech ranked fifth in the nation, registering 59 touchbacks on kickoffs, while only two teams permitted fewer KO returns.

•    The Hokies’ punt return team ranked second among FBS squads with 413 punt return yards in 2017, including a pair of TDs by CB Greg Stroman. 

•    In 2016, Tech blocked a punt and three field goals, while returning both a punt and a blocked field goal for touchdowns. 

•    His 2015 Memphis squad ranked seventh in the country in overall special teams efficiency via Football Outsiders, while his 2014 unit was the best in the FBS according to ESPN. 

•    Memphis was the only collegiate program to have a semifinalist for both the Ray Guy Award and the Lou Groza Award in 2014. 

•    A three-time Groza Award semifinalist, K Jake Elliott connected on 76.9 percent (60 of 78) of his FGs under Shibest with eight makes from 50 or more yards, including a school-record 56-yard FG at South Florida (11/16/13).  

•    Memphis ranked fourth among FBS squads in punt coverage in 2014, allowing 2.77 yards per return. 

•    Memphis WR Keiwone Malone concluded his collegiate career with a school-record 83 punt returns for 716 yards, a figure that ranked as the fourth-highest tally in school history. 

•    In 2013, Shibest coached the nation’s best punter, Tom Hornsey, who earned the Ray Guy Award and ranked seventh nationally with a 45.2-yard average. 

•    Memphis led Conference USA in kickoff coverage with a net average of 42.6 yards in 2013. 

•    TE Alan Cross led Memphis with five TD catches in 2012 and was named to the All-Conference USA Freshman Team.

•    Spent four seasons at Ole Miss, where he coached an NCAA statistical champion, four All-SEC honorees and two freshman award winners highlighted Shibest’s special teams accomplishments. 

•    Tutored the top two kick returners in Ole Miss history in Mike Wallace and Jesse Grandy.

•    In 2011, the Rebels ranked second nationally and led the SEC in punt returns with a 15.6-yard average.

•    K Joshua Shene wrapped up his career at Ole Miss second in career scoring (310), field goals (57), field goal attempts (75), PATs made (139) and PATs attempted (142).

•    In his first season with the Rebels in 2008, Shibest was honored as the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com.

•    Shibest groomed running back Felix Jones into the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year at Arkansas in 2007. 

•    Spent eight seasons at Arkansas (2000-07), where he coached special teams and had stints tutoring tight ends (2000-01, 2006-07) and receivers (2002-05).

•    Led Butler County (Kansas) Community College to a four-year record of 34-10 and back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championships in 1998 and 1999. 

•    Named the NJCAA Coach of the Year both seasons, and he also earned Jayhawk Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1996 and 1998. 

•    During his tenure at Butler County, Shibest coached 19 NJCAA All-Americans and 34 NCAA Division I signees, including Ricky Hall who registered 12 touchdowns for Tech in 1998-99 as a receiver and return man.

•    In two seasons at Garden City (Kansas) Community College he helped the Broncbusters to a 10-1 record in 1994 and a 9-2 mark in 1995 with an offense that ranked sixth in the NJCAA.

Prominent Pupils 

P    OSCAR BRADBURN     
Virginia Tech    2019 Ray Guy Award Semi-Finalist; Owns Tech’s career (43.5) and single-season (46.5) punting records. 

TE     ALAN CROSS    FA-2016 – Tampa Bay 
Memphis    Played in 36 career NFL games with Buccaneers (2016-18).  

K     JAKE ELLIOTT     D5-2017 – Cincinnati
Memphis    2014 & 2015 American Conference Special Teams POY, Super Bowl LII winner with Eagles (2017)

P     TOM HORNSEY    FA-2015 – Dallas
Memphis    2013 Ray Guy Award Winner, Consensus All-American 

TE     BUCKY HODGES     D6-2017 – Minnesota
Virginia Tech    Tech’s all-time leading receiver at tight end

RB     FELIX JONES    D1-2008 – Dallas
Arkansas    2007 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year 

TE    DALTON KEENE    D3-2020 – New England
Virginia Tech    Caught 59 passes for 748 yards & eight TDs from 2017-19.

TE     JAMES MITCHELL    
Virginia Tech    Owns 47 catches for 796 yards & 11 total TDs in 2019-20. 

K     JOEY SLYE    FA-2018 – N.Y. Giants
Virginia Tech    Tech’s all-time leading scorer enters third season with Panthers in 2021. 

CB     GREG STROMAN     D7-2018 – Washington 
Virginia Tech    Recorded three punt return TDs under Shibest (2016-17).

WR     MIKE WALLACE    D3-2009 – Pittsburgh    
Ole Miss    Steelers, Dolphins, Vikings (2009-15)  

Playing Highlights

• Prep All-American receiver at Houston’s MacArthur High School earned All-Southwest Conference honors at Arkansas in 1984 and 1986, amassing a then-school-record 1,920 receiving yards on 97 receptions, including 10 touchdowns.