The coaching carousel in college football is already spinning, and this time it’s Jay Boulware making a move before the transfer portal even officially opens for players. After three seasons at Kentucky, Boulware is set to join Rich Rodriguez’s staff at West Virginia, according to multiple reports. It’s a reunion of sorts for Boulware, who’s well-versed in Big 12 territory and brings with him a deep resume that includes stints at Oklahoma and Texas.
Boulware’s time in Lexington was something of a mixed bag, but there’s no denying he left his mark-especially on special teams. When he arrived at Kentucky, he stepped into a role the Wildcats had largely gone without under Mark Stoops: a dedicated special teams coordinator.
That alone was a shift in philosophy. And while he ruffled some feathers by moving away from the Australian punting style that had become a Kentucky staple, the results on the field spoke for themselves.
Before Boulware’s arrival, Kentucky’s special teams were a liability-botched snaps, inconsistent kicking, and general chaos that nearly cost them games. Fast forward to 2023, and things looked a lot different.
Alex Raynor emerged as the most accurate placekicker in school history, and redshirt freshman Jacob Kauwe-who Boulware recruited out of Big Sky country-hit 13 of 17 field goals. That’s stability Kentucky hadn’t seen in a while.
Boulware also played a role in recruiting, with some success on the special teams front and in the transfer portal. He was instrumental in bringing in running back Seth McGowan, though his track record with high school running back recruits didn’t exactly move the needle. Still, his ability to identify and develop special teams talent gave Kentucky a much-needed edge in that phase of the game.
Off the field, Boulware mostly kept a low profile-until a little pregame chatter ahead of the South Carolina matchup drew some attention. His comments about “Beamer Ball” didn’t go unnoticed by Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer, who fired back after South Carolina’s lone win of the season. It was a petty moment, for sure, but in the world of college football, those little jabs tend to stick around.
As Boulware heads to Morgantown, Kentucky is already moving on. Will Stein is expected to fill the vacancy with another familiar name: Kolby Smith. The former Louisville Cardinal and Arkansas assistant is set to join the Wildcats’ staff, continuing the trend of SEC programs reshuffling their coaching decks before the offseason hits full swing.
For Boulware, the move to West Virginia is another chapter in a long coaching journey that’s taken him through some of the biggest programs in the country. And for Kentucky, it’s a chance to reset and retool as they look to build momentum heading into the next season.