Hired in December 2011 to coach special teams and tight ends, James Shibest brings a wealth of coaching knowledge to the Memphis staff. Shibest comes to Memphis after spending four seasons under Houston Nutt at Ole Miss. During his time at Ole Miss, Shibest's special teams were highlighted by an NCAA statistical champion, four All-SEC honorees, two freshman award winners and Shibest being recognized as one of college football's premier special team coaches. He has also tutored the top two kickoff returners - based on season and career yards - in Ole Miss history in Mike Wallace and Jesse Grandy. In 2011, the Rebels ranked second nationally and led the SEC in punt returns, averaging 15.64 yards per return. Ole Miss also logged two touchdowns on punt returns in 2011. In addition, Tyler Campbell ranked 21st nationally in punting with an average of 43.57 yards per punt. The previous year, Shibest helped Campbell become the 2010 national punting champion with a 46.37-yard average. He was an All-SEC second-team pick that season as well. In addition, Grandy ranked 10th in the NCAA in punt return average en route to All-SEC third team status, and freshman Jeff Scott finished 20th in the nation in kickoff returns. Kickoff specialist Andrew Ritter's 13 touchbacks were fourth-most in the SEC. Despite a group of mostly freshmen, Shibest's unit ranked among the SEC's best in 2009. Grandy finished second on the Ole Miss single-season list with 746 kickoff return yards to earn second team Freshman All-America accolades. Campbell, an SEC All-Freshman selection, ranked second in the conference and 14th in the nation in punting with a 44.0-yard, while Ritter finished third in the league with 12 touchbacks and helped the Rebels rank fifth in the SEC in kickoff coverage. The group's lone senior, placekicker Joshua Shene, wrapped up his career second at Ole Miss in career scoring (310), field goals (57), field goal attempts (75), PATs made (139) and PATs attempted (142) and became only the second Rebel all-time to top the team in scoring all four years. In his first season with the Rebels in 2008, Shibest was honored as the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com. With many of the same specialists returning from the previous year, Ole Miss significantly improved in every single special teams category in its first year under Shibest. The Rebels jumped from 12th in the conference in kickoff coverage to third and from 11th in field goals to second. Wallace, a second team All-SEC returner, shattered the school record for kickoff return yards in a game, a season and a career, and ranked third in the SEC in kickoff return average (24.6). In addition, Marshay Green ranked sixth in the league in punt return average. Shene also garnered All-SEC kicker accolades, as he was a first-team selection by the Associated Press and a second-team pick by the league's coaches. A Lou Groza Award semifinalist, Shene led the conference in field goal accuracy (81.0 pct.) and converted all 52 PATs. In one season under Shibest, the Rebels improved from 93rd nationally in net punting to 32nd, and from 107th in punt coverage to 24th. Kickoff coverage improved 12 yards from the previous season and resulted in 10 touchbacks after none in 2007. Shibest was a member of 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). Shibest spent the prior eight seasons in the JUCO ranks. With the Razorbacks in 2007, Shibest coached return specialist Felix Jones, who was third in the nation in kickoff returns with a 31.33-yard average. Jones returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2007 and returned at least one kickoff for a touchdown in each of his three seasons at UA under Shibest. Jones was selected a first-team Walter Camp and Rivals.com All-American as a return specialist. He was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and placed on the Coaches' All-SEC first team. Also under Shibest's watch in 2007 was All-SEC second team placekicker Alex Tejada, who set a single-season school kick scoring record with 108 points. The freshman finished the regular season 17-of-21 in field goals including a perfect 12-of-12 from 40 yards or less. Tejada's 17 field goals made are the most by an Arkansas kicker in a season since Todd Latourette in 1998. Tejada was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and earned a spot on the Rivals.com All-SEC second team. In addition, Shibest's tight end Andrew Davie caught three touchdown passes, and D.J. Williams was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Under Shibest's direction, wide receiver Marcus Monk earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 2004 after tying the team lead in receptions with 37 for 569 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. Shibest also worked with punter Jeremy Davis, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after averaging 39.2 yards on 25 punts. Despite the loss of two senior starters from 2003, Shibest helped Arkansas rank fifth in the SEC in passing offense in 2004 (210.5) with wideouts Monk, Steve Harris and Cedric Washington combining for 91 receptions for 1,470 yards and 11 touchdowns. Shibest's Arkansas receivers had one of their most productive seasons in recent history in 2003. Seniors George Wilson and Richard Smith combined for 80 receptions, 1,473 yards and 13 touchdowns. They ended their careers second (144) and fourth (135), respectively, on UA's all-time receptions list. Shibest helped Wilson finish the 2003 regular season ranked fifth in the SEC in receptions per game (3.85) and fourth in receiving yards (69.2) per game. With Shibest's instruction, kicker Chris Balseiro made 11-of-15 field goal attempts including a school bowl record four in the Hogs' 27-14 win over Missouri in the 2003 Independence Bowl. In 2002, Shibest worked with placekicker David Carlton as he connected on 12-of-16 field goals to finish tied for third in the SEC in percentage (75.0). Shibest also instructed punter Richie Butler, who finished his career ranked in the top 10 of every punting category in the Arkansas record books. A 21-year coaching veteran, Shibest joined the Razorback staff in 2000 after a highly successful four-year stint as head coach at Butler County (Kan.) Community College. Shibest led the Grizzlies to a four-year record of 34-10 and back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association national championships in 1998 and 1999 while being named NJCAA National Coach of the Year both seasons. 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 Jermaine Petty, who earned first-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association. Shibest led the Grizzlies to records of 7-4 in 1996, 4-5 in 1997, 12-0 in 1998 and 11-1 in 1999. Shibest began his coaching career with two years as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State, coaching receivers in 1990 and running backs in 1991. In 1992, Shibest began his ascent through the junior college coaching ranks as the offensive coordinator at Independence (Kan.) Community College. After coaching the Independence defensive secondary during the 1993 season, Shibest embarked on a two-year tenure as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks/receivers coach at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. There he helped the Bronc Busters to a 10-1 record in 1994 and a 9-2 mark in 1995 with an offense that ranked sixth in the NJCAA. A native of Houston, Texas, Shibest was a prep All-American receiver at MacArthur High School where he caught 79 passes for 1,337 yards and 17 touchdowns in his final two seasons. Shibest had 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 for touchdowns. His career receiving yardage total still ranks fifth in the UA record books. Shibest and his wife Dianna are the parents of James John III and Jordyn Grace.
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