Beaty officially re-joins KU football as assistant

By Matt Tait     Jan 14, 2011

Former Kansas receivers coach David Beaty, right, will return to the KU coaching staff in 2011.

The man who once came to Kansas University to replace an outgoing wide-receivers coach has done it again.

KU football officials confirmed Friday that David Beaty, KU’s wide receivers coach from 2008-09, will rejoin the Jayhawks in 2011.

Beaty will coach KU’s receivers and hold the title of co-offensive coordinator.

“David has a great energy and a fantastic football mind,” KU coach Turner Gill said. “We are excited to have coach Beaty and his family back with the Jayhawk football program.”

Beaty’s return to Kansas continues a cycle between two schools over the past five years. Before coming to KU to replace Tim Beck in 2008, Beaty was the receivers coach at Rice. Last year, Beaty was Rice’s offensive coordinator.

Beaty, 40, comes to KU to replace Darrell Wyatt, who left Gill’s staff after one season to take a similar job at Texas.

Though many in the program were sad to see Wyatt go, Gill said bringing Beaty in to replace him was huge, particularly for recruiting.

“He has an excellent reputation in the state of Texas as a coach and recruiter, according to the high school coaches there,” Gill said.

Recruits stick with KU

Even though he’s no longer at Kansas, a couple of Darrell Wyatt’s top recruits said recently they’re planning to stay committed to Kansas.

“Coach (Chuck) Long (KU’s offensive coordinator) came and he watched me play basketball,” Mesquite, Texas, wide receiver Jacorey Shepherd told Rivals.com’s Jon Kirby last week. “I talked with him after the game and he was checking in to make sure everything was good. It was good to see them come right down and I know that coach Long and coach (Turner) Gill want me to be there.”

Shepherd, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound wideout from Horn High, is a three-star prospect and was one of Wyatt’s top recruits. So, too, was Dallas cornerback Kenneth Lynn, who just recently switched his commitment from Iowa State to Kansas.

Lynn also told Kirby he was still coming to KU, thanks in large part to a recent visit from cornerbacks coach Vic Shealy.

“Coach Shealy came in and said he wanted to make sure I knew that Kansas really wants me,” Lynn said. “My high school coaches told me things like this happen all the time. I got a call from Iowa State and they wanted me to know they are still interested in me. I’m still looking at being a Jayhawk.”

Both players have orally committed to Kansas and can sign their official letters of intent beginning Feb. 2.

PREV POST

Travis Releford doubtful for Nebraska game Saturday

NEXT POST

37019Beaty officially re-joins KU football as assistant

Author Photo

Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.