Kirk Ciarrocca - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Kirk Ciarrocca

Title:
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Seasons At RU:
Seventh Season
Alma Mater:
Temple, 1990

Kirk Ciarrocca is in his fourth season back as Rutgers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2026. Ciarrocca, who has over 30 years of coaching experience (22 as an offensive coordinator), previously served on head coach Greg Schiano’s staff for three seasons, winning two bowl games from 2008-10. He has been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and coached 28 players who had their name called in the NFL Draft (six in the first round). Ciarrocca has mentored a first or second team All-Big Ten running back each of the past four seasons, as the Scarlet Knights are the only power conference program to feature a 1,200-yard rusher each of the past three seasons. In 2025, the RU offense produced three All-America selections.

RUTGERS

• Ciarrocca, a nominee for the 2025 Broyles Award as one of the nation's top assistant coaches, helped Rutgers average 407.1 yards of total offense and 389.1 in Big Ten play, the team's best marks in a season since joining the league. The Scarlet Knights passed for 266.1 yards per game to place third in the Big Ten for the program's best placement, also ranking ninth nationally in fewest turnovers lost (9) and 13th in time of possession (32:31) and yards per completion (13.7). The 28.7 points per game marked the second most in the Big Ten era, while the unit set a program record with 23.2 first downs per game and finished fifth in the school record book in total offense (4,885 yards).
• The Scarlet Knights had a 3,000-yard passer (QB Athan Kaliakmanis), 1,000-yard rusher (RB Antwan Raymond) and 1,000-yard receiver (WR KJ Duff) for the second time in program history as one of five teams from the Power Four and two from the Big Ten to achieve the feat. By yards per game, RU owned the second-leading passer (Kaliakmanis, 260.3) and third-leading rusher (Raymond, 103.4) and receiver (Duff, 90.3) in the Big Ten. Duff and Raymond, who were both Second Team All-Big Ten honorees, joined OL Kwabena Asamoah as All-America selections.
• RU had three different players reach 500 receiving yards for the fourth time in program history, first time since 2013 and first time with all three being wide receivers.
• Rutgers was the only team nationally to have both a player reach 200 rushing yards (Raymond, 240 versus Maryland) and 200 receiving yards (Duff, 241 at Purdue) in a 2025 game.
• After two seasons as starting quarterback (2024-25), Kaliakmanis finished ranked seventh in program history in career passing yards (5,820), passing completions (442), passing attempts (763), passing touchdowns (38) and total offense (6,045). Generating two of the top seven passing seasons by yards, he is one of three quarterbacks in Rutgers history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, compile multiple seasons of at least 200 completions and reach 20 passing touchdowns in a season.
• In helping the Scarlet Knights to a second consecutive winning season and bowl berth in 2024, Rutgers averaged 28.9 points per game, the team’s best mark in the Big Ten era and most since 2008. The 376 points scored overall and 4,975 yards of total offense both ranked fourth in program history, while the 293 first downs were second. The 175.3 rushing yards per game ranked third in the Big Ten for the team's best placement since joining the league. In addition, the Scarlet Knights converted on third down at a clip of 44 percent, the first time reaching 40 percent since 2008 and best percentage since 2007, while ranking third nationally with just nine turnovers lost.
• Rutgers finished with a 2,000-yard passer (Kaliakmanis), a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Kyle Monangai) and two 600-yard receivers (WR Dymere Miller and WR Ian Strong) for the first time since 2007, one of just five Big Ten teams to achieve the feat in 2024.
• Kaliakmanis threw for 2,696 yards to become the first Rutgers quarterback to reach 2,000 yards in a season since 2015.
• Monangai, a draft pick of the Chicago Bears, became the first Scarlet Knight to earn First Team All-Big Ten on offense in both the coaches and media votes after rushing for 1,279 yards, second most in the conference. Named Fourth Team All-America by Phil Steele, he finished with the second most career rushing yards (3,221) in program history and ranks third with 14 100-yard rushing games, seventh with 3,473 all-purpose yards and seventh with 27 rushing touchdowns. Overall, the running back position group had no fumbles for the season, as Raymond scored eight rushing touchdowns, the most in a season for a Rutgers true freshman in program history and second most among Power Four true freshmen. He totaled 457 rushing yards overall to lead all Big Ten true freshmen and rank fifth among Power Four players in his class in 2024.
• The offensive line earned a spot on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll for the first time. The Joe Moore Award annually honors the top offensive line in college football based on toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing. OL Hollin Pierce, an honorable mention All-America selection by Phil Steele, graded out as the No. 11 tackle nationally, No. 6 in the Power Four and No. 2 in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus, also claiming the distinction as the first RU offensive lineman to earn a spot on one of the three All-Big Ten teams.
• In 2023, Rutgers was the most improved team in the Big Ten by total offense (+24.1) on the way to securing the program’s first winning season since 2014 and a victory over Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. The Scarlet Knights averaged 168.7 rushing yards per game (fifth in the Big Ten), led by the conference’s leading rusher in Monangai (1,262 yards). Monangai was RU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012, voted Second Team All-Big Ten and rated as the top running back in the Big Ten, best in the Power 5 and No. 5 nationally by Pro Football Focus.
• QB Gavin Wimsatt set a Rutgers quarterback record with 497 rushing yards, most in the Big Ten and No. 20 nationally among quarterbacks. His 143 rushing yards at Indiana set an RU game high for a quarterback.
• Ciarrocca first arrived at Rutgers as wide receivers coach in 2008 in a room that included eventual first-round pick WR Kenny Britt. The wide receiver had eight 100-yard receiving games to set the program record with 1,371 receiving yards in a season, helping the Scarlet Knights to a victory over NC State in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. He would earn All-America honors.
• In 2009, Ciarrocca was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He helped guide QB Tom Savage to Freshman All-America status after setting the Big East record for most passing yards by a true freshman in a season. The Scarlet Knights went 9-4 and defeated UCF in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
• Others to be drafted in the NFL after being coached by Ciarrocca at RU include OL Anthony Davis (first round) and WR Mohamed Sanu (third round).

MINNESOTA

• Ciarrocca helped Minnesota to a nine-win season and a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl in 2022. The Golden Gophers had two from the offense earn All-America status in C John Michael Schmitz (first team), a finalist for the Rimington Trophy and second-round draft pick of the New York Giants, and RB Mohamed Ibrahim (second team). All five linemen plus Ibrahim, who led the nation with 20 rushing touchdowns and Big Ten with 1,665 rushing yards, and TE Brevyn Spann-Ford earned All-Big Ten honors. The unit ranked third nationally and first in the Big Ten in both third down conversion percentage (52.1) and time of possession (34:31), while being second in the league in rushing offense (207.3) and least sacks allowed (1.15).
• In 2019, Ciarrocca helped Minnesota to an 11-2 record with seven Big Ten wins and a final Associated Press ranking of No. 10. He was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the best assistant coach in college football, as the Golden Gophers joined LSU and Alabama and the only schools in the nation to produce two 1,000-yard receivers (WR Tyler Johnson and WR Rashod Bateman) and a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Rodney Smith). Minnesota averaged 432 yards per game (fourth most in school history in the modern era) and 34.1 points per game (third most in school history in the modern era). The unit rushed for 25 touchdowns and threw for 31, which was the first time in school history that the program reached both of those numbers in the same season. Bateman would later be selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft after being voted the Big Ten's Richter–Howard Receiver of the Year in 2019.
• Also in 2019, QB Tanner Morgan set school single-season records in passing yards (3,253), touchdown passes (30), completion percentage (66.0), passing yards per game (250.2), touchdown-interception ratio (4.28) and passing efficiency rating (178.7). The performance led to being a finalist for the Manning Award and a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award.

WESTERN MICHIGAN

• Ciarrocca originally came to Minnesota and the Big Ten in 2017 after serving as the offensive coordinator at Western Michigan from 2013-16. The Broncos went 13-1 and finished No. 15 in the AP Poll in 2016 after averaging 41.6 points per game (ninth most in the nation) and set program records in points (582), total yards (6,737) and touchdowns (75) for the second consecutive season, also leading the nation with only eight turnovers surrendered that season.
• Ciarrocca’s offense included MAC Offensive Player of the Year and consensus All-American WR Corey Davis. Davis was the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and is the all-time leader in FBS history in career yards (5,285) and 100-yard games (27). He is also the only player at the level to amass at least 300 catches, 5,000 yards and over 50 touchdowns.
• Ciarrocca also coached the quarterbacks and mentored QB Zach Terrell, who ended his career as the William V. Campbell Trophy winner after not having any Power Five offers out of high school. In 2016, Terrell passed for 33 touchdowns and threw only four interceptions. In 2015, he finished the season ranked seventh in the country and second in the MAC in quarterback efficiency (162.3).
• In 2015, Ciarrocca coached a dynamic running game led by RB Jamauri Bogan, who was named the MAC Freshman of the Year and Bahamas Bowl MVP after amassing 1,503 yards on the ground. It was the first time since 2008-09 that Western Michigan had 1,000-yard rushers in back-to-back seasons after RB Jarvion Franklin totaled 1,551 yards in 2014.
• Ciarrocca’s offense also featured the most prolific receiving duo in the country in over a decade. The duo of WR Daniel Braverman and Davis were the first receiving pairing since 2002 to total more than 1,400 and 1,300 yards in the same year (Davis recorded 1,436 yards, while Braverman had 1,371). Braverman and Davis were each named to the All-MAC team in 2015. Braverman finished second in the FBS nationally in receptions (108), eighth in receiving yards (1,371) and eighth in receiving touchdowns (12). Davis was fifth in the country in receiving yards (1,436) and receiving touchdowns (13), while placing 12th in receptions (90).

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

• Ciarrocca worked on the West Virginia staff as an analyst in 2021 and as offensive coordinator for Penn State in 2020. The Nittany Lions placed second in the conference in total offense (430.3), third in scoring (29.8), fourth in passing (256.0) and fifth in rushing (174.3) during the pandemic-shortened season. WR Jahan Dotson led the Big Ten in receiving yards (884) and receiving touchdowns (8) on the way to becoming a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
• Ciarrocca was instrumental in the development of first-round pick and Super Bowl-winning QB Joe Flacco during his six seasons (2002-07) at Delaware. That included winning the national championship in 2003. Ciarrocca's Blue Hen 2007 offense ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring, total offense, passing offense, third down conversion and red zone scoring. He had a pair of quarterbacks drafted into the NFL during his first stint with the Blue Hens, with QB Andy Hall joining Flacco at the next level.
• Ciarrocca's coaching career began at his alma mater, Temple, where he assisted the offensive staff and served as the on-campus recruiting coordinator from 1990-91.
• Ciarrocca stayed on the East Coast, working with Western Connecticut State as the passing game coordinator in 1992, at Delaware Valley College, also as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks and receivers coach, in 1993. He returned to Western Connecticut State as the offensive coordinator for two seasons before heading to coach in the Ivy League for seven seasons. He first coached the wide receivers at Princeton from 1996-99 and then did the same at Penn from 2000-02, where the Quakers boasted the top-ranked passing offense and claimed the 2000 Ivy League championship.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

• Ciarrocca is a 1990 graduate of Temple University after starting college as a defensive back at Juniata College and suffering a career-ending injury.

PERSONAL

Hometown: Lewisberry, Pa.
Alma Mater: Temple, 1990
Wife: Kim
Children: Daughter, Colby; Son, Cade

COACHING HISTORY

2023-present: Rutgers (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2022: Minnesota (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2021: West Virginia (offensive analyst)
2020: Penn State (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2017-19: Minnesota (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2013-16: Western Michigan (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2012: Delaware (running backs)
2011: Richmond (quarterbacks)
2009-10: Rutgers (co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2008: Rutgers (wide receivers)
2002-07: Delaware (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2000-01: Penn (wide receivers)
1996-99: Princeton (wide receivers)
1994-95: Western Connecticut State (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/wide receivers)
1993: Delaware Valley (passing game coordinator/wide receivers)
1992: Western Connecticut State (passing game coordinator/wide receivers)
1990-91: Temple (graduate assistant)