SDS will look at new assistant coaches around the SEC, highlighting their accomplishments, achievements, history and tough tasks ahead of them. Next up, Kentucky’s Shannon Dawson.

Shannon Dawson, Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

History:

  • 2014-present: Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
  • 2011-14: West Virginia inside receivers coach, offensive coordinator/receivers coach, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
  • 2008-10: Stephen F. Austin offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
  • 2006-07: Millsaps offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
  • 2005: New Mexico State graduate assistant
  • 2003-04: SE Louisiana offensive quality control, running backs coach
  • 2002: Wingate wide receivers coach

When former offensive coordinator Neal Brown left Kentucky to take the head coaching position at Troy, Mark Stoops was faced with a decision. The coach, heading into his third year at UK, could start from scratch and find a coordinator who would bring in a new philosophy, or he could try to build on the foundation already in place in Lexington.

Stoops decided on the latter option, choosing former West Virginia OC Shannon Dawson to run the show for the Wildcats.

Dawson comes to Kentucky well versed in the Air Raid system Brown initially brought with him to Lexington. Dawson has spent the last four seasons under fellow Air Raid coach Dana Holgorsen, whose disciples include Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin and Jake Spavital, among others.

Dawson also worked under former Kentucky coach and Air Raid innovator Hal Mumme for three years at Southeast Louisiana and New Mexico State. Mumme is the same coach to share the Air Raid with Brown.

In his first year, Dawson will be expected to lift up an offense that sputtered in 2014. The Wildcats ranked No. 79 in the country in total offense, sitting at No. 63 in passing offense and No. 77 in rushing. The Mountaineers, by comparison, were ranked 12th, ninth and 45th in those categories, respectively.

In Lexington, Dawson will find talent with which to work. The Wildcats have a quarterback in place in Patrick Towles, for whom staying in a similar offensive system is certainly a positive. The rising junior showed flashes of being an upper-tier SEC quarterback in 2014, and it’ll be on Dawson to help bring him along as he did with Clint Trickett at WVU.

The Wildcats have talent at wide receiver as well, although it is mostly young. Kentucky brought in five highly regarded receiver recruits in the 2014 class, and while the Wildcats didn’t get much on-field return from them early there’s plenty of potential. Ryan Timmons should be the clear No. 1 out wide, but after him there are plenty of targets to be had.

After the job Dawson did in helping to develop All-American receiver Kevin White, a former three-star recruit at WVU, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic.

Dawson is already talking about finding balance in the offense and not throwing on every down, as many assume the Air Raid offense does. He’ll have plenty of ammunition in the backfield with Boom Williams, Mikel Horton and Jojo Kemp, but he’ll need to get improvement from the offensive line to keep both his running backs and quarterback on their feet.

This will be a crucial season for Kentucky in Stoops’ third year. UK improved its win total by three last year, but finished the season on a six-game skid. Kentucky will need improvement on both sides of the ball to continue to build, and Dawson looks to be the guy to take the offense to a next level.