Tag: Damiere Shaw

Rutgers football: Damiere Shaw embraces relationships and listening while still being ‘extremely intense’

Damiere Shaw’s emphasis on relationships is making a mark with Rutgers football.

For Damiere Shaw, recruiting and coaching are all about relationships, the Rutgers wide receivers coach talking this week about his style when it comes to arguably the two most important components of his job.

Shaw has become the new rock star on the recruiting circuit for Rutgers football. The first-year wide receivers coach has created some significant buzz on the recruiting trail, his ability to connect and foster an understanding beyond football already playing a key role in the Scarlet Knights landing three-star wide receiver Yazeed Haynes out of Pennsylvania.

In his role as a recruiter and on-the-field as an assistant, Shaw says he follows the example of head coach Greg Schiano.

[lawrence-related id=15379]

In doing so, he points to the program’s belief in trust and accountability, especially as it comes to recruiting.

“I won’t say that it is anything I do specifically. This program is led by coach Schiano and I’ve watched him and the rest of the guys in this group recruit at a high, high level the last two years. It is all about relationships. The way we recruit, we recruit in teams so I may be responsible for a kid’s area but I’m not the only one responsible for recruiting that kid,” Shaw told reporters this week.

“We collectively recruit and the most important thing I do and the rest of the staff do is build relationships. It is easy to recruit when you have a head coach like coach Schiano backing you.

“You can name-drop him on kids. I like to collectively recruit and build relationships.”

The relationship component, for Shaw, also extends to his job on the sidelines in coaching the wide receivers.

[lawrence-related id=15385]

This offseason, Rutgers lost some significant swagger when Tiquan Underwood left to become the wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh. Underwood was known for his ability to connect with players as a recruiter and also foster relationships within the program.

Shaw, who was hailed by Schiano this week for being a technician as a coach, talked about how he handles his room and mentors the individual players in a way where he is able to critique their performance in practice or a game but also develop their ability to communicate in an open fashion.

“I say I coach extremely hard and everything we do is extremely intense but it’s never personal. You know, the coach is never personal just trying to help these guys be the best version of themselves,” Shaw said.

“And then we get in the meeting room it’s all conversation based, it is never lecture based. Guys can express how they’re feeling, guys can express what they were thinking out there on the football field. So I will say these guys really get coached hard, but they know that my relationship with them is way bigger than football. And I think that enables me to be able to coach those guys hard push them hard without them fighting it.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football: Josh Youngblood showing well this spring

Rutgers football has seen Josh Youngblood emerge this spring.

This spring has been a good one for Rutgers football wide receiver Josh Youngblood. So says Damiere Shaw about his talented – and fast – wide receiver.

Youngblood came to Rutgers as a transfer from Kansas State. He had a reputation as a special teams ace who had the potential to use his athleticism and speed as a wide receiver. His production last year was a bit limited, with just six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown catch in a loss to Ohio State.

But in the Gator Bowl, Youngblood had two catches for 25 yards, showing in the loss to Wake Forest his ability to stretch the field and make plays. His speed makes him an interesting downfield target.

[lawrence-related id=15331]

If he can stay healthy and round out his route tree, then Youngblood could be primed to make a bigger impact at Rutgers this season. For Shaw, in his first year as wide receivers coach with the Scarlet Knights, the showing from Youngblood this spring has been right on track.

“Well, I think Josh Youngblood epitomizes what ‘CHOP’ is. Just mental and physical toughness, focus and perseverance. He’s been able to do that,” Shaw told reporters on Tuesday.

“His journey here has not been perfect but he’s bounced back. He’s had the same attitude day-in-and-day-out. Great attitude, great leader. He’s been doing a phenomenal job.

“I’ve been impressed with him physically on the field but also off of the field.”

At Kansas State, Youngblood’s biggest impact was on special teams as a returner. He was named a 2019 Second Team All-America (CBS Sports, FWAA) as well as a 2019 First Team Freshman All-America in a season where he returned three kickoffs for a touchdown.

[lawrence-related id=15343]

In high school, Youngblood was a three-star recruit at Berkley Prep and the No. 75 athlete in the nation according to ESPN.com.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football: Greg Schiano pleased with the growth of wide receivers under Damiere Shaw

Damiere Shaw, the new Rutgers football wide receiver coach, gets praise from head coach Greg Schiano.

One of the question marks among many for Rutgers football this spring was the performance of not just the wide receivers but also how their new position coach would adjust to his role.

So far at the midway point of spring, it is a passing grade from head coach Greg Schiano for both the wide receivers and also their coach, Damiere Shaw. A new hire to the staff, Shaw is making an impression with the wide receivers already.

This is Shaw’s third season at Rutgers but first as a position coach, taking over for Tiquan Underwood. Prior to arriving at Rutgers, Shaw was the wide receivers coach at Fordham.

He also spent time on staff at Temple and then Baylor.

“Coach Shaw has done a really good job with these guys. Detailed,” Schiano told reporters on Saturday following his team’s scrimmage.

“Demanding yet very, very connected with the group. So I’m very, very pleased with his professionalism. He is a young coach, carries himself with a maturity beyond his years.”

It is certainly noteworthy praise and a strong assessment of Shaw’s character and work ethic by Schiano. He has already made a significant impression on the recruiting trail, as noted by Pennsylvania three-star wide receiver Yazeed Haynes, a recent Rutgers commit.

[lawrence-related id=15331]

The position underperformed a bit last year as the offense as a whole struggled. But this offseason, six transfers on the offensive side of the ball will be counted on transform an offense that lacked a spark last season.

Two incoming wide receivers via the transfer portal in Sean Ryan (West Virginia) and Taj Harris (Syracuse) are big pieces for Shaw to work with this season. Both players come with significant ‘Power Five’ experience and production.

“The players, I think we’ve added some. They’re going to help,” Schiano said.

“The guys that were here are [now] performing at a higher level. So overall, I think the receiver room is taking steps up and continuing to go in the right direction.”

Harris had 16 catches for 171 yards last season for Syracuse in three games, making him the team’s leading wide receiver during that stretch (Harris entered the transfer portal before the Orange’s fourth game). As for Ryan, he had 25 catches for 399 yards with three touchdowns.

[lawrence-related id=15343]

The receiving yards and touchdowns were career highs for Ryan. His 25 catches were tied for the most in his four seasons in Morgantown.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]