Kirby Wilson, a veteran NFL assistant coach who's tutored four of the league's all-time greatest running backs, is planning on retiring after more than two decades' service.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Friday reported that Wilson is exiting his post as the running backs coach for Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders.
#Raiders RBs coach Kirby Wilson, one of the game’s most respected, has informed the team he is retiring, source said. A RBs coach for 7 teams over the past two decades, Wilson now steps aside.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 16, 2021
A part of Super Bowl-winning staffs with Gruden at Tampa Bay in 2002 and Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, Wilson during a career that spans 24 years at the professional level has coached Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Adrian Peterson and Edgerrin James, as well as more recent stars Le'Veon Bell and Josh Jacobs – the latter with the Raiders.
Wilson logged time with the Bucs, Steelers, Browns, Patriots, Cardinals, Vikings and Raiders. Additionally, he had some 15 years' experience as a college assistant – including with Pete Carroll for a year at the University of Southern Cal and also a stint at Iowa State in the mid-1990s.
Wilson, a Los Angeles native, began his playing career at the University of Illinois and also spent two years playing in the Canadian Football League. He then earned a degree from Eastern Illinois and transitioned into coaching.