N.C. State has hired Des Kitchings as its new running backs coach, the school announced on Thursday.

Kitchings spent the 2011 season at Air Force and previously worked at Vanderbilt. He replaces Everette Sands, who left after one season on Tom O'Brien's Wolfpack staff for South Carolina.

RALEIGH – His last day in Charleston, new N.C. State running backs coach Everette Sands donned a light-blue Citadel shirt. “I thought, ‘Yeah, I better wear this now, because I can’t wear this when I get up to North Carolina,” he said, laughing.

Decked out in a new Wolfpack-red polo on Wednesday, Sands – who played running back for the Citadel, and spent the past six years there coaching the tailbacks -- explained that he is already aware of the huge State-UNC rivalry (and thus, his need to put away all of his blue duds). And he’s excited about the chance to help the Pack take the next step.

“I know North Carolina State has done a great job over the last couple of years – Coach [Tom] O’Brien has done a wonderful job,’’ Sands said. “They are positioning themselves to win an ACC championship. And it’s been one of my goals to win a BCS conference championship, and go on for that BCS title.”