New co-offensive coordinators benefited from Gator Bowl dress rehersal

Des Kitchings and George McDonald worked well together, despite loss to Texas A&M

GoPack.com photo

 NC State’s Gator Bowl loss to Texas A&M last December was a game the Wolfpack would just as soon forget. But according to coach Dave Doeren, there was at least one sliver lining to his team’s 52-13 beatdown at the hands of the Aggies.

 It gave newly promoted assistants Des Kitchings and George McDonald an opportunity practice working together for the first time as co-offensive coordinators.

“That was good for them, (especially) the game planning part of it,” Doeren said Wednesday night on his first weekly radio show of the new season. “Our offensive line coach was gone, our quarterback coach was gone, so we were coaching a bowl game and we were going against a really good A&M team missing two full-time coaches in the prep. I’m excited that they get to coach a game with the full offensive staff as well.”

 Kitchings coached the Wolfpack’s running backs and McDonald was in charge of the receivers before he staff changes began shortly after State’s regular season final against East Carolina.

 First offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz left to take the head coaching position at Appalachian State. A few days later, line coach Dwayne Ledford became the new offensive coordinator at Louisville.

 Instead of choosing between his two most senior remaining offensive assistants to run the show in the bowl game, Doeren decided to have Kitchings and McDonald share the responsibilities.

Despite the game’s outcome, he liked what he saw.

 “Those guys work well together,” Doeren said. “It’s fun watching those guys and the way they communicate.”

 They’ll get their first chance to work together in a regular season game on Saturday against ECU with Kitchings providing his insight from above in he press box and McDonald working from field level on the sideline.

 The game will also mark the Wolfpack debuts of new offensive line coach John Garrison, quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper. Tight ends coach Todd Goebbel, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Tony Gibson are also new additions to the revamped staff.

 Doeren has been especially impressed with the work Garrison has done with an offensive line that lost three starters -- including first-round NFL draft pick Garrett Bradbury.

 “You walk into a situation where you lose all that talent and you’ve got to build something,” Doeren said. “In the spring it was hard. We had a lot of guys hurt on he O line. That probably helped us a lot now, but it was horrible going through it.

 “It’s exciting to see those guys now. They’ve got a lot of chemistry. Coach Garrison has done a good job.”