N.C. State coach Dave Doeren has announced that Desmond “Des” Kitchings will remain on the Wolfpack staff as running backs coach.
Kitchings coached running backs and tight ends for the Wolfpack in 2012.
“I’ve gotten to know him in the last 10 days and am really impressed with his work ethic, his attitude and the way he works with the players," Doeren said in a statement. "The players have had nothing but great things to say about him as a teacher and a motivator.
“On the recruiting trail, I’ve been impressed with how he relates to the high school coaches. He has an impressive coaching background and the coaches he worked with at Air Force and Vanderbilt had great things to say about him. It’s also good to have a South Carolina native on our staff to help us with recruiting in that area.”
In his first season at NCSU, Kitchings coached both running backs and tight ends. Under his guidance, freshman Shadrach Thornton finished the regular season ranked fifth in the ACC in rushing despite not playing in the Pack’s first three games.
Kitchings spent the 2011 season as the running game coordinator/running backs coach at the Air Force Academy. Air Force ranked third nationally in rushing that season, averaging 314.8 yard per game.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at