Soccer
Mike Montoro
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia College soccer coach Wealthy Rodriguez has introduced that Pat Kirkland has been employed because the particular groups coordinator and defensive assistant coach on the Mountaineer teaching employees.
“Pat has years of particular groups and defensive expertise that may assist elevate all phases of our program right here at West Virginia,” Rodriguez stated. “He has lots of ardour for the state and does an excellent job in recruiting and creating our gamers. We’re excited to have him again on our employees once more.”
It will mark the third time that Kirkland has labored with Rodriguez, having served on his employees at WVU in 2006 and 2007 and at Jacksonville State from 2022-2024.
Kirkland was the particular groups’ coordinator and bandits coach underneath Rodriguez at Jacksonville State for 3 years.
In 2024, the Gamecocks particular groups have been ranked No. 2 in Convention USA in kickoff return and kick return protection, internet punting, punt returns and punt return protection. The kick return protection was ranked No. 22 nationally and his punter, Jack Dawson, was ranked No. 17 nationally.
In the course of the 2023 season, the Gamecocks averaged 62.1 yards per kickoff with 39 touchbacks. On protection, Jax State led Convention USA in sacks largely attributable to his Bandits group racking up 39 sacks in 13 video games, leading to 291 misplaced yards.
Kirkland’s transfer to Jacksonville translated into speedy success, serving to the Gamecocks to a 9-2 file, together with an ideal 5-0 convention file and the 2022 ASUN Convention Championship. His bandits room was led by J-Rock Swain, who earned All-ASUN First Staff honors and helped the Gamecocks lead the nation in fumbles recovered and to the Twelfth-best purple zone protection within the nation.
His particular groups items have been additionally distinction makers for Jax State in 2022, rating fourth nationally in internet punting, tenth in kickoff returns and seventh in blocked punts. Alen Karajic broke college data for scoring in a recreation by a kicker and for consecutive area objectives made through the 12 months, as nicely.
Kirkland’s resume contains 10 years of head teaching expertise on the College of Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia, the place he led the Golden Eagles to a 70-41 file and runner-up end within the Mountain East Convention six instances, together with his 2021 crew that completed 8-2.
At Charleston, he coached 42 all-conference first crew gamers, in addition to quite a few all-region and All-America picks. He had gamers earn Mountain East Convention Participant of the Yr honors on offense and protection, together with his newest being working again Tyreik McAllister, the MEC’s Offensive Participant of the Yr in 2021.
His 2015 crew at Charleston completed 10-1 ranked No. 15 within the nation after incomes a spot within the NCAA Division II Playoffs. That crew was additionally second nationally in whole protection resulting in Kirkland incomes the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Convention Coach of the Yr Award at season’s finish.
Over the last 4 years at UC, Kirkland had 9 gamers in NFL camps and two who have been drafted, together with Reese’s Senior Bowl participant defensive lineman John Cominsky, who’s at present a defensive finish for the Detroit Lions.
Kirkland spent 5 seasons at WVU, spending time on each side of the ball, with the bulk approaching protection. He helped lead the Mountaineers to a win over Oklahoma within the Fiesta Bowl because the defensive secondary coach and led WVU to the Gator Bowl because the fullbacks and tight ends coach.
He additionally hung out as WVU’s director of recruiting.
Earlier than his time at WVU, Kirkland was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Glenville State, the place his protection was persistently among the best within the nation.
A local of Akron, Ohio, Kirkland additionally spent two years because the secondary coach at Muskingum, the place he had 4 all-conference gamers within the secondary.
He obtained his bachelor’s and grasp’s levels in training from Muskingum, the place he was a first-team all-conference defensive again after main the league in interceptions.
