Go Inside Kentucky Football Fall Camp with TE Coach Derek Shay

Kentucky tight ends coach Derek Shay, via Photo by Jacob Noger | UK Football

Derek Shay is the new guy, who isn’t really that new. Bush Hamdan brought Shay to Lexington a year ago as an offensive analyst. When there was a surprising shake-up in June, Shay was ready to step up.

We’ve heard Mark Stoops and Josh Kattus say plenty of nice things about the new tight ends coach. We still haven’t heard anything directly from the horse’s mouth. That’s changing right now.

The tight ends coach was mic’d up for the opening days of Kentucky football fall camp. For Football Franks, it’s simply delightful just to hear coaches speak the language of football.

Shay got his first big break coaching tight ends at LSU. He didn’t get there by accident. There’s an attention to detail in his teaching. You’re going to get a heavy dose of those fundamentals and details when you watch him instruct his players through board drills.

The language of football is often accompanied by coach speak, but not the kind we hear in the media. The way coaches preach their Gospel is mesmerizing. Shay flexed that muscle to fire up the fellas.

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“How tough are you mentally to just go take the next rep? How can I breathe through my nose and go take the next rep? That’s what being a pro is,” Shay told his tight ends.

“You go to an NFL practice. Those guys take a rep. I’m back in the huddle. My eyes are on the signal. They’re in their world. Their eyes are in the huddle. Boom! I go take the next rep, and we’re rolling. That’s what a pro does. Are you guys with me? Anything outside of that — no bueno. Be a pro. That’s how you be a great freaking player and everybody in here has a chance to be a great player.”

🎙️ Mic'd up with TE Coach, @CoachDerekShay. pic.twitter.com/pFvHsRxhE6
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) July 31, 2025

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