Donnell Kirkwood, Jr. Named Running Backs Coach for Cowboy Football

He spent the last two seasons at North Dakota

LARAMIE, Wyo.  (Jan. 2, 2025) –University of Wyoming head football coach Jay Sawvel announced the addition of Donnell Kirkwood, Jr. to the Cowboys coaching staff on Thursday, as Kirkwood will serve as running backs coach for the Brown and Gold. He was a standout running back at Minnesota during Sawvel’s time with the Golden Gophers.

“We are very excited to have Donnell coaching our running backs,” Sawvel said. “Donnell was a great team player at Minnesota and very mature person that brought it every day.  Coach Kirkwood has worked his way up the ladder in his coaching career. Every head coach he has coached with has been very impressed with his work and we are excited to have him at Wyoming.”

Kirkwood comes to Wyoming after spending two seasons at North Dakota. This past season, Kirkwood mentored a trio of running backs including Freshman All-American Sawyer Seidl. The trio each rushed for nearly 500 yards or more on the season. 

“I’m very excited for this opportunity to be on staff with coach Sawvel,” Kirkwood, Jr. said. “Just to be back with coach Sawvel and be around a coach with great intensity and passion that saw me grow as a player is special. It is exciting to be a running back and coach running backs at this level, and it is something I cherish. I’m ready to gamedays in War Memorial Stadium and ready to play Cowboy Tough football.”

In 2023, the Fighting Hawks rushed 399 times for 1,879 yards and 30 touchdowns averaging 4.7 yards per touch. Gaven Ziebarth emerged as the top running back for UND and recorded 107 touches for 700 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 6.54 yards per touch. Ziebarth marks 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 (70.0). Isaiah Smith was also productive in the backfield with 95 rushes for 594 yards and a pair of scores while averaging 6.3 yards per touch. 

Prior to his time at North Dakota, Kirkwood Jr. coached the running backs and was the director of player personnel at Western Illinois in 2022. He mentored Erin Collins to become the first running back at WIU to go over 150 yards rushing in a single game since 2016. Kirkwood Jr. also ran all scout special teams, helping the Leathernecks rank second nationally in punt return yardage allowed, only allowing teams an average of -0.50 yards per return. 

He was on the staff at Northern State in 2020 and 2021 and coached the running backs. With his leadership, the Wolves piled up 1,485 yards rushing and scored 15 touchdowns on the ground during the 2021 season.

His coaching experience also includes serving as the running back coach for Minnesota's Southwest High School from 2015 to 2019. He also coordinated special teams and coached defensive backs coach during the 2019 season.

Kirkwood Jr. played for the University of Minnesota from 2010 to 2014. During his time with the Golden Gophers, Kirkwood Jr. won the 2014 Paul Giel Award and was 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.

Kirkwood Jr. earned his bachelor's degree in youth studies from the University of Minnesota in December of 2013.