Apr. 4—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.
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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.”
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.
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Before getting the North Dakota job, Kirkwood spent the 2022 season at Western Illinois, where he coached running backs and served as director of player personnel.
He mentored Erin Collins, who became the first running back at WIU to eclipse 150 yards rushing in a single game since 2016. Kirkwood also ran all scout special teams, helping the Leathernecks rank second nationally in punt return yardage allowed, allowing teams an average of -0.50 yards per return.
In 2020 and 2021, Kirkwood coached running backs at Division II Northern State, which finished with 1,485 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns in 2021.
From 2015-2019, Kirkwood worked in the high school ranks, coaching running backs at Southwest in Minnesota, his home state. In 2019, Kirkwood also coordinated special teams and coached defensive backs.
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Kirkwood played for the University of Minnesota from 2010-14, winning the 2014 Paul Giel Award, which goes to the team’s top offensive player, and getting named the 2013 offensive back of the year and 2013 offensive player of the year.
He led Minnesota with 926 yards rushing and six touchdowns during his sophomore season.
