Mark Stoops responds to WR coach Daikiel Shorts leaving Kentucky for Nebraska

Tuesday’s news that wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts is leaving Kentucky for Nebraska was made official today by Matt Rhule at the Huskers’ Signing Day press conference. Several states away, Mark Stoops was asked about Shorts’ decision in Kentucky’s Signing Day press conference, and he had quite a response.

“Well, I was pretty stern with my contract and with my discussions a year ago, and that didn’t hold up, so I got to keep on working that,” Stoops quipped when asked what it would be like to look for his seventh wide receivers coach in 13 years. “I thank Daikiel for the work that he’s done here. I thought he was a very good coach, a good young coach.”

Nebraska will be on the hook for Shorts’ $500,000 buyout, which would have dropped to $150,000 in July 2025. Stoops couldn’t help but get in a quip about that this afternoon.

“I was pretty demanding that I needed at least a two-year commitment out of that and put a pretty large buyout on it but some schools weren’t afraid to just write a check. So I wish him luck. I do appreciate what he’s done. I think he’s a very talented young coach, and I wish him the best.”

The impact of Shorts’ departure may already be felt. While Kentucky was able to land flip former Wisconsin WR commit Cameron Miller, they’re still waiting for three-star wideout Dejerrian Miller to send in his paperwork. Without mentioning names, Stoops said the staff is confident all of their commits will sign. He also mentioned offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan’s experience coaching wide receivers at multiple programs throughout his career, most recently at Missouri.

“It does you know kind of hurt for our continuity that I am looking for,” Stoops said of Shorts’ departure. “The great thing is, I have some young guys in that room and GAs, and some guys that are pretty impressive that can easily handle it for now and teach and be on the same page, which is great. Bush [Hamdan] has a strong background in receivers as well, coaching them at the highest level so he could do quarterbacks and receivers and get them on the same page. But we have good coaches in there, and I’ll find another good one for that spot.”