49er Assistant Named Assistant Head Coach at Texas A&M
Jan 29, 2000 | Football
January 29, 2000
Texas A&M Head Football Coach R.C. Slocum announced the hiring of Larry Kirksey as the Aggies' new assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. Kirksey has served as the wide receivers coach at the San Francisco 49ers the past six seasons.
"I am delighted to have Larry Kirksey joining our staff," Slocum said. "He brings a wealth of offensive knowledge to our program. His extensive experience in the West Coast offense will be invaluable to our team. To be able to bring the offensive philosophy of Bill Walsh, Mike Holmgren and Steve Mariucci to our program is exciting."
Kirksey has tutored Jerry Rice, who owns numerous NFL receiving records and many feel is the best receiver in the history of the NFL, along with top wideouts such as J.J. Stokes and Terrell Owens at San Francisco.
"My goal is to be a collegiate head coach and Coach Slocum has given me the opportunity to get back into collegiate football with a very successful program," Kirksey said. "I've known Coach Slocum for a lot of years and I'm excited about being a part of his coaching staff and Texas A&M."
In his first season at San Francisco (1994), he helped the 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX as the wide receivers established a Super Bowl record with six touchdown catches.
Prior to his NFL experience, Kirksey coached 20 years on the collegiate level. He coached running backs for four seasons at Alabama (1990-93) and helped the Crimson Tide win the 1992 National Championship. During that 1992 season the Tide running backs led the Southeastern Conference in rushing with an average of 252 yards per game.
He coached one season at Pittsburgh (1989) after he helped tutor the likes of Emmitt Smith, Neal Anderson and John L. Williams at the University of Florida (1984-88) as the running backs coach.
Kirksey, 49, also has head coaching experience having served as the head coach at Division II Kentucky State in 1983.
In 1982 he worked at the University of Kansas and served five years as an assistant coach at Kentucky (1977-81). He started his collegiate coaching career as a receivers and tight end coach at the University of Miami (Ohio) from 1974-76.
Kirksey played collegiate football at Eastern Kentucky from 1970-72 and earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1973.
Kirksey is married and his wife's name is Anita. They have two children: Jessica (18) and Jared (14).
KIRKSEY'S COACHING CAREER
1994-99 San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers
1990-93 Alabama Running Backs
1989 Pittsburgh Running Backs
1984-88 Florida Running Backs
1983 Kentucky State Head Coach
1982 Kansas Receivers/Tight Ends
1977-81 Kentucky Receivers/Tight Ends
1974-76 Miami (Ohio) Quarterbacks/Receivers/Tight Ends
