Rich Rodriguez Names Pat Kirkland as Special Teams Coordinator

West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez announces Pat Kirkland as special teams coordinator and defensive assistant

West Virginia University football vs. Baylor. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez announced Pat Kirkland as the special teams coordinator and defensive assistant coach Tuesday afternoon.

“Pat has years of special teams and defensive experience that will help elevate all phases of our program here at West Virginia,” Rodriguez said. “He has a lot of passion for the state and does an outstanding job in recruiting and developing our players. We’re excited to have him back on our staff again.”

This will mark the third time that Kirkland has worked with Rodriguez, having served on his staff at WVU in 2006 and 2007 and at Jacksonville State from 2022-2024.

Kirkland was the special teams’ coordinator and bandits coach under Rodriguez at Jacksonville State for three years.

In 2024, the Gamecocks special teams were ranked No. 2 in Conference USA in kickoff return and kick return defense, net punting, punt returns and punt return defense. The kick return defense was ranked No. 22 nationally and his punter, Jack Dawson, was ranked No. 17 nationally.

During the 2023 season, the Gamecocks averaged 62.1 yards per kickoff with 39 touchbacks. On defense, Jax State led Conference USA in sacks largely due to his Bandits group racking up 39 sacks in 13 games, resulting in 291 lost yards.

Kirkland’s move to Jacksonville translated into immediate success, helping the Gamecocks to a 9-2 record, including a perfect 5-0 conference record and the 2022 ASUN Conference Championship. His bandits room was led by J-Rock Swain, who earned All-ASUN First Team honors and helped the Gamecocks lead the country in fumbles recovered and to the 12th-best red zone defense in the nation.

His special teams units were also difference makers for Jax State in 2022, ranking fourth nationally in net punting, 10th in kickoff returns and seventh in blocked punts. Alen Karajic broke school records for scoring in a game by a kicker and for consecutive field goals made during the year, as well.

Kirkland’s resume includes 10 years of head coaching experience at the University of Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia, where he led the Golden Eagles to a 70-41 record and runner-up finish in the Mountain East Conference six times, including his 2021 team that finished 8-2.

At Charleston, he coached 42 all-conference first team players, as well as numerous all-region and All-America selections. He had players earn Mountain East Conference Player of the Year honors on offense and defense, with his latest being running back Tyreik McAllister, the MEC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2021.

His 2015 team at Charleston finished 10-1 ranked No. 15 in the nation after earning a spot in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. That team was also second nationally in total defense leading to Kirkland earning the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Award at season’s end.

During the last four years at UC, Kirkland had nine players in NFL camps and two who were drafted, along with Reese’s Senior Bowl participant defensive lineman John Cominsky, who is currently a defensive end for the Detroit Lions.  

Kirkland spent five seasons at WVU, spending time on both sides of the ball, with the majority coming on defense. He helped lead the Mountaineers to a win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl as the defensive secondary coach and led WVU to the Gator Bowl as the fullbacks and tight ends coach.

He also spent time as WVU’s director of recruiting.

Before his time at WVU, Kirkland was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Glenville State, where his defense was consistently one of the best in the nation.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Kirkland also spent two years as the secondary coach at Muskingum, where he had four all-conference players in the secondary.