Patrick Shepard finished his first season with the Sycamores in 2022. The Sycamore special teams coordinator guided one of the nation’s top punting units as ISU finished 14th nationally in punt return defense (3.2) and 35th in net punting (36.97). Shepard’s tight end group also made strides in the passing game with Tyce Ferrell posting a new career-high in catches and touchdowns.
Shepard joined the Sycamores in February 2022 by way of Western Illinois University where he served as the Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator for the Leathernecks.
He was also responsible for Western's tight ends, after previously serving the team's running backs from 2018-19. In his first two seasons at Western, Shepard coached full back Clint Ratkovich to back-to-back First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors. The 2018 season also saw running back Steve McShane ranked 47th in the nation, third in the MVFC, in rushing yards per carry. McShane went on to earn a camp invite with the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) before signing a contract with the Houston Roughnecks (XFL).
A year later, Shepard laid claim to one of the best kick returners in the nation. Justin Hall not only garnered Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-American Fourth Team recognition, but he also ranked 20th in the FCS, with a Valley-leading, 706 combined return yards. As the Leathernecks' special teams coordinator, Shepard also guided Adam Fellner to the 18th-best average in yards per punt (42.5).
Shepard went to Macomb after a stint at the University of Wyoming, where he was responsible for assisting quarterbacks and special teams. Shepard helped with the development of quarterback Josh Allen, the seventh overall selection in the 2018 National Football League Draft, and also guided the Cowboys to the top kickoff return unit in the nation. The team led the Mountain West Conference in three categories in 2017 (kickoff return defense, punt return defense, and kickoff return average).
As an assistant coach at Robert Morris University, Shepard coached tight ends from 2010-12, and was the wide receivers and pass game coordinator until 2016. The program won a Northeast Conference championship in 2010, where Shepard also guided tight end Shadrae King to First Team FCS AP All-American honors.
Shepard was a three-year letter winner at tight end at Miami University (OH). He earned a Bachelor's in History with a minor in Coaching in 2009 and a Master's in Informational Systems and Communication from Robert Morris in 2011.
