Coming Home: New RB

New RB coach Des Kitchings likes what he sees in Gamecock backfield RUN TO WIN

New South Carolina running backs coach Des Kitchings had been on the job for more than a week and he still had not seen or talked football with any of his Gamecock running backs.

South Carolina athletes were in the middle of exams when Kitchings was hired in April and not allowed to have the type of video-conference meetings that have now become the new norm in college athletics. Kitchings, who was hired on April 24, was still in Raleigh, waiting for the stay-at-home orders in North and South Carolina to be lifted so he could move to Columbia.

But the latest addition to head coach Will Muschamp’s staff is very familiar with South Carolina’s young running backs and was able to watch film of the players he will be working with. He immediately liked what he saw.

“Obviously, [freshman] MarShawn [Lloyd] is as advertised, so I look forward to working with him,” he said. “There were only five practices this spring but … you saw some flashes both with Kevin [Harris] and Deshaun [Fenwick] as far as guys coming back. I like what I see there.”

He is also intrigued by Colorado State transfer Adam Prentice, a hybrid full back/H-back Kitchings says “will play a big role with our offense.”

“Those are some guys you study and say, ‘OK, they have some skill and ability, now let’s get together and work together to try to refine that.”

A native of Wagener, S.C., Kitchings has spent the past eight seasons at NC State, where he produced three straight 1,000-yard rushers from 2016-18. He was also the recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach, co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for offense for the Wolfpack. The Furman graduate has also coached at Vanderbilt and Air Force since beginning his 16-year coaching career with his alma mater in 2004.

Muschamp began talking to the highly-regarded coach early

By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos courtesy of SC Athletics

this year after the departure of former running backs coach Thomas Brown. Then, after the hiring of new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and assistant coach Joe Cox, Muschamp contacted Kitchings again in April when former offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon left for Oregon. With the addition of Kitchings, Cox moves to wide receivers coach while assistant Bobby Bentley will move back to tight ends.

“We’re excited to add Des to the staff,” Muschamp said. “I was impressed by him in the interview process, with his history with running back play and with his ties in the state of North Carolina, which should be a huge asset in recruiting. He was endorsed by everyone he has worked with and we are fortunate to bring him back to his home state.”

With his parents still living in Wagener and other family throughout the state, Kitchings is excited to be returning to his home state. But he’s also excited by the potential he sees at South Carolina.

“You are just seeing the growth of the program and facilities and the things coach Muschamp is trying to do here and the guys he has brought on with his staff,” said Kitchings, who coached against the Gamecocks in Charlotte in the 2017 season opener. “The SEC speaks for itself as far as the type of competitive conference. As a coach, we all want to be in the most competitive environment we can be in and this allows me the opportunity to do that.”

A standout receiver and return specialist at Furman, Kitchings calls himself an “easy-going” but “ultra competitive” coach.

“I demand a lot of my guys and push them hard,” he said. “The goal is to make practice harder than what the game would be. From the time we step on the practice field until the time we leave, just demanding the most from them so that on Saturday it’s second nature for them to go out and compete.”

Kitchings worked with elite running backs Warren Norman and Zac Stacy at Vanderbilt from 2008-10 and developed 1,000-yard rushers Matthew Dayes, Nyheim Hines and Reggie Gallaspy at NC State. Hines was first-team AllACC after leading the conference

in all-purpose yards in 2017, while Gallaspy set a school record with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2018.

Though he favors physical attributes like size and speed, he prefers backs who are mentally tough and excel at scoring touchdowns. He helped Air Force rank

The goal is to make practice harder than what the game would be ... so that on Saturday it’s second nature for them to go out and compete.

– DES KITCHINGS

third in the nation in rushing yards (314.8 yards per game) and rushing touchdowns (43) in 2011.

“Bottom line is, as a running back, his objective is to score touchdowns, and if a kid struggles to do that in high school, he’s not going to be able to do it in college. He has to be a guy who has the ability to do that,” he said. “A college running back is the starting point of an offense. I know we talk about quarterbacks, but in this league, when you have to be able to run the ball consistently, you have to have guys who can break tackles and create explosive plays.”

He believes the Gamecocks may have that guy in Lloyd, a four-star recruit from Maryland who drew rave reviews in South Carolina’s shortened spring practice. Lloyd has already drawn comparisons to former Gamecock great Marcus Lattimore.

“He has some juice in his legs,” Kitchings said. “He’s a kid who makes a cut and gets vertical very fast. You saw him breaking a couple of tackles in very limited pads, there are some untenable things you see there that says this guy has got it. Not to say the others don’t too, but he just flashed on film in those couple of practices this spring.”

Kitchings says he would have no reservations about making a freshman his lead back. Norman and Stacy both started for him as true freshmen at Vanderbilt.

“I have had some success in my past playing true freshmen,” he said. “The challenge will be this year, how much time do we have to get them prepared relative to years prior?”

He is also excited about the addition of in-coming freshman Rashad Amos, whom he recruited at NC State, and junior-college transfer ZaQuandre White, whom he coached against when White was at Florida State. He calls White “dynamic.”

“You’re talking about a guy who can go score a touchdown for you in a hurry,” he said.

Amos, he said, “has some good tools as an athlete, as a ball carrier, a guy who can win in space and be able to score touchdowns. Those two guys are only going to create more depth and competition in that room.”

Though Kitchings prefers to have a workhorse, he also favors playing two running backs to keep them both fresh.

“Obviously, if you have a guy who can tote the mail, let’s let him tote the mail,” he said. “But you see it across football, even in the NFL, two backs just kinda limits some of the hits on guys and the wear and tear. So I think there is a need for that, especially if you have the depth in your room to do that and keep guys fresh.

“But if there is a guy who is in rhythm and he is toting the rock and he’s being productive for us, we are going to ride him and then give him some spells along with that. I like to think we are going to have some depth in our room that we will be able to rotate a couple of guys, and getting guys through the first, second and third quarter, and then the fourth quarter let’s lean on somebody that has really been consistent and productive.”

While the Gamecocks have struggled to run the ball in Muschamp’s four seasons, Kitchings says the running game will be a big part of Bobo’s new offense.

“That’s any offense. You run to win and you throw to score,” he said. “If you just look at the history of coach Bobo and his offenses, running the ball has been a featured part of it and he’s had tailbacks in the past who could do that. And running the football

and being balanced helps your defense and it helps the team. It helps the physicality of the team in practice. That’s a point of emphasis, so we all have the same beliefs in that.”

As a South Carolina native who has spent the past eight years in North Carolina, Kitchings is well aware of South Carolina’s reputation in the Carolinas and throughout the south. He was part of the Gamecocks’ thrilling 35-28 win over NC State in 2017 and relishes the chance to return to the state and the SEC.

“The name University of South Carolina does have some

impact in North Carolina as far as recruiting,” he said. “I think they just signed the 18th-ranked class, and that is going to bring some more talent to the program and ascend the program to a championship level. That’s why we are here, to get to a championship level. There is a lot of respect for South Carolina.”

Harris, Herbert Harrigan make Staley, South Carolina proud at WNBA Draft PAY DAY

Make it seven first-round draft picks in the last six seasons for South Carolina. Make it six first-round picks from the program's 2017 national championship team.

On April 17, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Ty Harris became the latest Gamecocks in the WNBA when they were chosen within minutes of each other in the first round of the 2020 draft. Herbert Harrigan was selected sixth

By Josh Hyber | Staff writer

overall by the Minnesota Lynx, while Harris was taken seventh overall by the Dallas Wings.

“All season long, Kiki and Ty were focused with a championship mindset. They showed up each day ready to compete and they both reaped the rewards of their hard work [on draft] night,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley told Spurs & Feathers. “The leadership they exhibited last season has left a lasting impact on our team. Our staff and their teammates could not have been more proud watching them fulfill their WNBA dream.”

Most projections had Herbert Harrigan as a late first-round or early second-round pick, but the 6-2 forward was taken by Minnesota head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve, Staley’s top assistant with USA Basketball.

“Kiki being drafted by Minnesota is a win for both. Kiki will be coached by … one of the best teachers in our game and a proven winner,” Staley said. “The Lynx are adding an exciting, hard-working and soon-to-be fanfavorite player to their winning culture.”

“I wasn’t expecting my name to get called that early, but it did and I’m happy for that,” Herbert Harrigan said on a conference call with reporters on draft night.

“A lot of people didn’t have her projected this high, and she shocked the world,” Harris said.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert called Harris’s name moments later.

“I’m super excited. Just excited that my dreams are finally coming to reality,” she said.

“To hear her named called by the commissioner at the seventh pick, we can’t explain the excitement level that was in the house. I don’t know if there’s a word to describe the feeling we all had,” Bruce Harris, Ty’s dad, told Spurs & Feathers.

“And now she gets to play with the Wings alongside all these great players (including former Gamecock teammates Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray). It’s a dream come true for her.”

“Ty being reunited with two of her national championship teammates will make her transition to the WNBA seamless. It’s a great fit for her. Knowing that Kaela and Allisha are there will bring some immediate familiarity,” Staley said. “Brian Agler is a tremendous coach and excellent motivator who will push Ty to use her strengths to become the best version of herself.”

P h o t o b y J o s h H y b e r

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Lynx

KIKI GOES TO MINNY

For Herbert Harrigan, getting drafted is a giant step toward acting out a bold proclamation she made eight years ago when, as a basketball novice, she told her high school coach she wanted to play in the WNBA.

“We’re all very, very, very excited,” Michelle Herbert, Mikiah’s mom, told Spurs & Feathers. “As you know, Kiki is from Anguilla, so she will be the first person from the island to play professional ball, male or female. Instead of history, it’s herstory. Girls don’t even play basketball back home. “The fact she made it this far, the whole island is going crazy. The support is too much. Everyone’s calling and sending love. The chief minister of the island, the governor, everyone’s excited.”

Herbert Harrigan averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game this past season and was named the SEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

“I think Kiki’s stock was rising just throughout the season,” Staley said before the draft. “Her 3-point shooting percentage, her overall [shooting] percentage, her ability to just be efficient. Kiki, the times that she did get a chance to shoot the basketball, more times than not, she made, and they were from all over the place.

“That’s appealing to the next level.”

At 6-2, Herbert Harrigan may have to adjust from being an interior presence with the ability to stretch the floor to more of a perimeter-oriented player. “I’m open to new challenges, so that won’t be an issue,” she said.

Staley said before the draft she had conversations with WNBA personnel about just that.

“She showcased her talent in being able to defend on the perimeter while also not losing out on blocking shots,” the coach said. “I think that is what’s making her stock rise, and just her ability to be as versatile as anyone, especially with her height and athleticism. And her scoring ability.”

Herbert Harrigan also said she’s open to playing overseas as well as in the WNBA. “If I have the opportunity, I would definitely do both,” she said.

“Obviously she had a great season. … Just her athleticism. I think that always makes the transition a little bit easier, and she’s obviously someone that can stroke it,” Phoenix Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello said before the draft. “She’s got a smooth stroke.

“I think she will be a handy player in the

The WNBA and their style of play is very beneficial to her style of play. It wouldn’t be surprising to me if she’s up there for Rookie of the Year.

– DAWN STALEY ON TY HARRIS

pros and continue to develop her outside shooting. I think she has a lot of upside.”

Said ESPN reporter Holly Lowe, “Kiki Herbert Harrigan, I thought she took huge steps forward this year. She’s an athletic post … and is an intriguing prospect, because I don’t think we’ve even seen her best basketball yet.”

Rebecca Lobo said she loves Herbert Harrigan’s game.

“I love her fire. She competes,” the ESPN analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer said. “I think she’s a player, who, if we had had an NCAA Tournament … I think she’s a player who could have seen her stock rise because it seems like, in these big moments, she elevates herself and she just has a competitiveness and a will to win that is elite.”

Photo courtesy of Bruce Harris

A TRIO OF GAMECOCKS IN DALLAS

For Harris, getting chosen by Dallas means a chance to play with former Gamecock teammates Gray and Davis in the city where the trio won a national title together.

“It’s going to be really nice. I’m excited just because we played together for a year and I know them, so I’ll get accustomed really well and they can teach me the ropes,” Harris said.

“I really don’t think Ty has reached her full potential. I think the better players Ty is surrounded by, the better she plays,” Staley said before the draft. “… When Ty is able to lead, and when she’s able to be heard, she plays her best … which she will be at the next level.

“She’s a big point guard. She can shoot it. She can get to the basket. She can direct. I just think the WNBA, and their style of play, is very beneficial to her style of play. It wouldn’t be surprising to me if she’s up there for Rookie of the Year.”

New York head coach Walt Hopkins said before the draft that Liberty executives evaluated “extensively” five college players who were in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick.

Harris was one of them.

Lobo thought Harris could be selected as high as fourth overall by the Atlanta Dream.

“Everybody loves Ty Harris. When you bring up her name to people in the WNBA, it’s nothing but respect to Ty Harris and her game,” she said.