Coaches

Kirby Wilson is in his fifth season as the Steelers’ running backs coach. Wilson, who was hired on Jan. 29, 2007, came to Pittsburgh with 19 years of coaching experience at both the collegiate and professional levels.

Wilson, 49, carried the momentum into 2010 as Rashard Mendenhall set a career-high 1,273 rushing yards, ranking him seventh in the NFL and marked his second consecutive season with over 1,000 yards on the ground. Mendenhall had three 100-yard games and a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns.

In 2009, Wilson was instrumental in Mendenhall’s breakout season as he posted his first career 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,108 yards on the year. He rushed 242 times with a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. In 2007, Wilson helped Willie Parker earn his second consecutive Pro Bowl and led the NFL in rushing through the first 16 weeks before he broke his leg in the second-to-last game of the season.

Prior to the Steelers, Wilson coached the running backs for the Arizona Cardinals (2004-06) after spending two seasons as running backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-03).

After one season (2001) as wide receivers coach at Southern California, Wilson then joined head coach Jon Gruden’s staff in Tampa Bay in 2002. That season, the trio of running backs Michael Pittman, Aaron Stecker and Pro Bowl fullback Mike Alstott collectively gained over 1,400 rushing yards and helped the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory over Oakland.

Prior to his stint with the Buccaneers, Wilson spent four years as running backs coach with the New England Patriots (1997-99) and Washington Redskins (2000), tutoring a trio of running backs, including Patriots backs Curtis Martin (1997) and Robert Edwards (1998), and later Redskins running back Stephen Davis (2000). In addition, Wilson honed the skills of Washington fullback Larry Centers, who led his team with 80 pass receptions in 2000. Centers (827 pass receptions) and Keith Byars (610 receptions), whom Wilson coached in New England in 1997, rank one and three in career receptions by a running back in NFL history.

Wilson entered the coaching arena on the staff at Pasadena (CA) City College (1985) as wide receivers coach, and after earning a bachelor of arts degree from Eastern Illinois in 1989, returned to coaching at Los Angeles Southwest Community College (1989–90) as quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. Following two seasons at Southern Illinois as linebackers coach (1991) and secondary coach/passing game coordinator (1992), he joined the staff at Wyoming (1993-94) as secondary coach, helping the Cowboys win the 1993 Western Athletic Conference title and earn an appearance in the Copper Bowl.

Wilson coached running backs at Iowa State from 1995-96. Under his guidance, Troy Davis earned all-America honors and led the nation with over 2,000 yards rushing in both ’95 and ‘96—the only player in NCAA history to reach the 2,000- yard rushing mark in consecutive seasons.

A running back and wide receiver at Pasadena Community College (1979–80) and the University of Illinois (1980–81), Wilson played two seasons in the Canadian Football League as a defensive back and kick returner for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1983) and Toronto Argonauts (1984).

Born in Los Angeles, Wilson was on the football and track teams at Dorsey High School in his native Los Angeles. Wilson has five children; sons Kris, Michael and Tyler, and daughters Malia and Savanna.