Desmond Kitchings, one of the top receivers and return specialists in Furman history, is entering his third season as an assistant coach and will again direct the squad's tight ends while also serving as co-special teams coordinator -- a responsibility he added following this past spring. Last year Kitchings coached All-Southern Conference tight end Brad Bell, helping Furman to a 8-4 season, playoff appearance, and No. 12 final ranking. In 2005 he played an integral part in a Furman offense that averaged a Southern Conference best 470.0 yards per game and ranked among the most balanced attacks in the country. His direct responsibility included coaching All-SoCon tight end John Rust, who caught 33 passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns while helping Furman to an 11-3 campaign that included an NCAA I-AA semifinal playoff run and No. 3 final national ranking. In 2004 he directed the play of three-time all-conference performer Willis Sudderth, who keyed the Paladins to a 10-3 record, SoCon championship, and No. 5 final national ranking. A native of Wagener, S.C., Kitchings came to Furman in 1996 and in four seasons posted some of the school's top receiving and return totals. His 112 receptions and 1,808 receiving yards rank fifth all time, and 11 touchdown catches stand sixth on the school's career ledger. As a specialist he averaged a SoCon record 29.3 yards on 33 kickoff returns, four of which went for touchdowns -- also a school record. His outstanding speed also netted him seven rushing touchdowns in his career, two of which came in a 52-6 rout of William & Mary in 1999 when rushed five times for 117 yards. A consensus all-conference selection as both a receiver and return specialist on Furman's 1999 conference championship team, he was honored as an All-America return specialist that season after leading NCAA I-AA with a 35.1 yards per return average. One of his top performances came in the Paladins' 28-3 win over North Carolina in 1999 when he caught seven passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. In 2000 he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Near the end of the 2000 campaign he was signed off the Chiefs' practice roster by the New York Jets and later spent time with both the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. Kitchings graduated from Furman in 2000 with a degree in health and exercise science. He is married to the former Heather Seib of Hoisington, Kansas, and the couple welcomed their first child, Aiden Jacob "A.J." Kitchings, born on July 5, 2006.