Jackson State University

Rip Kirk enters his fourth season on the Jackson State football staff, and his third as the quarterbacks coach after spending his first year as an offensive analyst.

Last season, Kirk led an offense that featured a pair of quarterbacks in JaCobian Morgan and SWAC co-Freshman of the Year Jared Lockhart. The duo threw for 2,374 yards (both passing for 1,187 yards) and a combined 19 touchdowns, with Morgan earning second team all-conference honors despite his injury halfway through the season.

He helped lead an offense as co-offensive coordinator that finished fourth down conversion percentage (second), rushing offense (third), total offense (fifth), third conversion percentage (seventh), passes yards per completion (10th), sacks allowed (10th), team passing efficiency (19th), first downs offense (21st), scoring offense (23rd), and completion percentage (49th). The offense had six players selected to the all-conference team last season, including three on the first team.

Kirk led a Jackson State offense orchestrated by returning Cricket Celebration Bowl Offensive MVP Morgan who led Jackson State with 2,236 yards passing as he finished 163-for-256 with 21 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. The then-junior quarterback also earned all-conference honors with those numbers. Meanwhile, the Tigers finished ranked nationally in red zone offense (second), winning percentage (third), fourth down conversion percentage (fourth), scoring offense (fifth), rushing offense (eighth), passing yards per completion (ninth), team passing efficiency (12th), first downs offense (16th), sacks allowed (31st), total offense (34th), and third down conversion percentage (38th).

Prior to his arrival at Jackson State, Kirk served as an offensive graduate assistant at Troy University working with quarterbacks. The Trojans went 12-2 during the 2022 season averaging 25.57 points per game during his tenure. Kirk also worked with starting quarterback Gunnar Watson, who threw for 2,818 yards and 14 touchdowns with a 61.49 completion percentage. 

Before Troy University, Kirk spent the 2021 season working with wide receivers as an offensive graduate assistant. In that season, Tyrese Chambers led the team in receptions with 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns on 45 catches.

Kirk served as quarterbacks coach at Starkville High School during the 2020 season, where he coached an Under Armour All-American, Dandy Dozen, and current University of Illinois quarterback in Luke Altmyer. 

Kirk was a signal caller for Mississippi State University for two seasons, earning a scholarship after his junior season. He earned Academic All-SEC honors and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Science. After graduating, he became an offensive student assistant for the 2019 season. He also earned an associate’s degree at Itawamba Community College.