PULLMAN – Washington State has made its new running backs coach official.
Donnell Kirkwood Jr. is taking over the Cougars’ running backs room, per a WSU release issued Friday, replacing former coach Robbie Rouse, who resigned last month after his DUI arrest.
Kirkwood spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons as the running backs coach at North Dakota. In January, he took the same job at Wyoming, where he spent about two months.
“I have followed Donnell’s career for some time and have been impressed with the passion and energy he brings to coaching,” WSU coach Jimmy Rogers said via release. “He is very knowledgeable, has a proven track record, all while being a great teacher and tremendous relationship builder, qualities essential to our program. We are excited to have Donnell as a Cougar.”
WSU coach Jimmy Rogers opens his post-practice availability with a statement on Robbie Rouse and his resignation following his DUI arrest pic.twitter.com/0O576fS0CS
— Greg Woods (@GregWWoods) March 29, 2025
Last season at UND, Kirkwood coached a trio of running backs, including Freshman All-American Sawyer Seidl. In 2023, the Fighting Hawks rushed 399 times for 1,879 yards and 30 touchdowns, good for 4.7 yards per touch.
Gaven Ziebarth emerged as the top running back for UND, recording 107 carries for 700 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Those numbers allowed him to finish the season ranked No. 16 nationally in rushing yards per carry (6.54) and fourth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing yards per game (70). Isaiah Smith also produced 95 rushes for 594 yards and a pair of scores, averaging 6.3 yards per touch.
Before getting the North Dakota job, Kirkwood spent the 2022 season at Western Illinois, where he coached running backs and served as director of…
Source link : http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/apr/04/wsu-announces-donnell-kirkwood-jr-as-new-rbs-coach/
Author :
Publish date : 2025-04-05 02:07:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
