Former UK Assistant Jay Boulware Finds a New Gig

Before the transfer portal officially opens, the college football coaches are transferring from school to school. After Mark Stoops was fired by Kentucky, Jay Boulware was lobbying online for a new gig. It must have worked.

FootballScoop reports that Boulware will join Rich Rodriguez’s staff at West Virginia. Boulware spent the last three seasons in Lexington as the Kentucky running backs coach and special teams coordinator.

Boulware was a long-time assistant at Oklahoma, giving us the Stoops family connection. He also dabbled at Texas before making the move to Lexington.

Stoops did not employ a special teams coordinator for the majority of his Kentucky tenure. When Boulware took over that position, it was celebrated by some until he ditched the Australian punting style that made the Cats successful. Regardless of where you stood on the decision, Kentucky’s special teams play improved. The year before Boulware arrived, poor special teams play nearly cost them a couple of games because they couldn’t snap the football. During the 2023 season, Alex Raynor began his career as the most accurate placekicker in school history. Boulware also signed Jacob Kauwe, the big leg from Big Sky country, who booted 13-17 field goals during his redshirt freshman campaign last fall.

Boulware recruited special teams well. He also gets credit for getting Seth McGowan to Kentucky. He doesn’t get much more credit for recruiting running backs, particularly from the high school ranks.

We didn’t see him make headlines often, however, Boulware’s comments ahead of the South Carolina game were heard by Shane Beamer. After the South Carolina win, the Gamecocks’ only victory of the season, Beamer called out his former Oklahoma colleague for discrediting “Beamer Ball” in the lead-up to the matchup. For a coach who lives for dorky, petty moves, it was his dorkiest and pettiest move yet.

Will Stein is replacing Boulware with another former Louisville Cardinal. Earlier this week we learned that Kolby Smith is expected to join the Kentucky football staff after spending the last two years at Arkansas with Bobby Petrino.

More Kentucky News and Views on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.