Kirkendall comes to PC after spending the last two seasons at Morehead State as the cornerbacks’ coach and special team’s coordinator. He spent the year prior at Gardner-Webb as a defensive graduate assistant working with the Linebackers. Prior to his time with Gardner-Webb, Kirkendall spent the prior two seasons at Eastern Kentucky working with the DB’s and as the special team’s quality control coach. He began his coaching career in 2018 at Florida Tech and spent two years in Florida working with the defensive backs and as the teams’ special team quality control coach.
During his time at Morehead State, he was named a finalist for the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021. He was in charge of the daily install and game planning with the corners and special teams units. During the fall of 2021, Kirkendall touted the 24 best kickoff unit, 59th in kick returns, 82 in punt, and ninth in net punting. In the spring season, Morehead State had punt return and kickoff units in the top three in the league.
In the spring season, Morehead State touted 14 interceptions to lead all of FCS which was led by Brandon Barbee who was first-team All-PFL and second-team All-American. He coached a pair of All-PFL honorees who included first-team honoree long snapper Brady McKnight who was also an All-American honoree along with second-team punter Andrew Foster that broke two single season conference punting records.
Before his time at Morehead State, Kirkendall spent a year with Gardner-Webb as a defensive graduate assistant. He worked primarily with the linebackers and was the coach in charge of the rush in three-down packages. He was also in charge of defensive film breakdown and worked in various roles on the special teams unit.
In his season at EKU, Kirkendall was part of a staff that helped the defense finish second in the OVC in points allowed, second in total defense, second in rushing defense and third in passing defense. Eastern Kentucky was fifth in the nation in third down defense, seventh in fourth down defense, 11th in red-zone defense, 15th in rushing defense, 16th in total defense and 22nd in scoring defense in 2019.
He got his coaching career started at Florida Tech where he worked with the defensive backs and was quality control for the special teams. He was a part of the No. 1 scoring defense in all of DII and helped Florida Tech make the 2018 playoffs.
In his playing career, he was a two-year starter at Olivet College on a team that won two MIAA Championships. He got to start in the school’s first playoff game since 1978 during his playing career.
