Missouri announces Jackie Shipp as new defensive-line coach

After cobbling together his first recruiting class as head coach Wednesday, new Missouri coach Barry Odom announced that Jackie Shipp has been hired as the Tigers’ defensive-line coach.

Shipp, 53, who had been at Arizona State the last three seasons, replaces Chris Wilson, who was hired in mid-December to replace Craig Kuligowski.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” Shipp said in a release from MU athletics. “I grew up in Stillwater, Okla., and I played in the Big Eight and coached in the Big 12, so I’m very aware of Mizzou’s tradition. I think back to greats like Phil Bradley, James Wilder, Leo Lewis and all of those teams, and I always have had great respect for Mizzou and their history.”

Odom also is aware of Shipp’s tradition for developing disruptive defensive-line groups.

“I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to welcome coach Shipp to the Mizzou family,” Odom said in the release. “He has had great success throughout his career and that includes developing some of the best defensive linemen in college football. I’ve seen him recruit with relentless energy and have always been impressed with how he gets his players to play the game.”

Shipp, a 25-year coaching veteran, played at Oklahoma from 1980-83 and coached the defensive line there for 14 seasons under Bob Stoops from 1999-2012.

The Sooners reached the BCS national-title game four times with Shipp on the staff, including 2001 when the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator, Josh Heupel, quarterbacked the team to a title.

Oklahoma also reached the BCS national championship game in 2004, 2005 and 2009.

Shipp is a past winner of the All-American Football Foundation Mike Campbell Top Assistant Coach Award.

Shipp said he has been impressed with Missouri’s rapid adaptation to the SEC, which he said was widely regarded as the top football conference in the nation.

“Mizzou has already played for two league championships in a short time which is really impressive,” he said. “I’m excited to come to work with a great staff that coach Odom has put together. It is a great situation all around to have success with. I’m impressed with the track record that coach Odom has already established, you look at what he’s achieved at every level, and this is a guy who is going to make a great head coach. I’m looking forward to helping him achieve big things.”

Wilson bolted for Doug Pederson’s staff with the NFL’s Eagles last week after barely one month on Odom’s staff.

Kuligowski earned national acclaim for developing defensive linemen during 15 seasons at Mizzou under former coach Gary Pinkel, but he was not retained and wound up on Mark Richt’s new staff at Miami (Fla.).

Shipp, whose Sun Devils led the nation with 3.54 sacks per game last season, played six seasons in the NFL, including five with the Dolphins from 1984-88.

He spent time as a coaching intern with the Packers and Vikings in the NFL and also coached one season at Alabama (1998) and one at Central Missouri (1992).

Shipp has two children — a son, Christopher, and a daughter, Kaitlin.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Missouri announces Jackie Shipp as new defensive-line coach."