Football
Kirkland, Josh
Josh Kirkland
- Title:
- Director, Player Personnel
- Email:
- UNTFootball@unt.edu
Josh Kirkland joined the UNT Football staff in January 2023. He was elevated to General Manager, Senior Offensive Assistant in March of 2023.
Kirkland brings collegiate head coaching experience to the role, having spent the 2022 season as head coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State and the 2020-21 seasons as head coach at New Mexico Highlands.
He also served an assistant head coach at NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word from 2018-20 where he oversaw running backs, tight ends and recruiting. Prior to his college experience, Kirkland held a pair of head coaching and athletic director roles in the high school ranks of Texas at 6A Lehman High School and 5A Parkland High School.
Program turnaround is no stranger to Kirkland. After inheriting a 0-11 team at SWOSU, he guided the program to a 4-7 record in 2022, the most wins for the program since 2016. In his first season at New Mexico Highlands, Kirkland led his team to a 5-6 record during the fall of 2021 culminated by a berth in the La Batalla Bowl. This came one year after the team finished 2-9 and three seasons removed from an 0-11 record.
He also engineered huge offensive jumps at both stops including his lone season at SWOSU, where wide outs Isreal Watson and Deshon Moreaux both earned all-conference honors. Quarterback Tylan Morton was second in the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
With NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word in 2018, Kirkland helped guide UIW to the best season in program history as Kirkland and the staff led the Cardinals to a 6-4 regular season record, a conference championship, and UIW's first FCS Playoff appearance – one season removed from a 1-10 record.
In Kirkland's second year with the Cardinals, he helped guide UIW to five wins, including two over ranked opponents. UIW also broke several program records, including pass completions, pass completion percentage, all-purpose yards, and total points.
Kirkland also has experience at the high school level in Texas guiding Kyle Lehman (2017-18), El Paso Parkland (2015-17) and time as associate head coach at Daingerfield (2010-15).
A native of Levelland (TX), Kirkland earned a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M in 2010 and a master’s from Grand Canyon University in 2014. He and his wife, Marina, have three sons Kash, Krew, and Kolt.
Coaching History
2009-11: Daingerfield High, wide receivers
2012-14: Bryan Rudder High, special teams coordinator/wide receivers
2015: Houston Westbury, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
2016: El Paso Parkland High, head coach/athletic coordinator
2017: Lehman High, head coach/athletic coordinator
2018-19: Incarnate Word, assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator
2020-21: New Mexico Highlands, head coach
2022: Southwestern Oklahoma St., head coach
2023-: UNT, director of player personnel
Kirkland brings collegiate head coaching experience to the role, having spent the 2022 season as head coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State and the 2020-21 seasons as head coach at New Mexico Highlands.
He also served an assistant head coach at NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word from 2018-20 where he oversaw running backs, tight ends and recruiting. Prior to his college experience, Kirkland held a pair of head coaching and athletic director roles in the high school ranks of Texas at 6A Lehman High School and 5A Parkland High School.
Program turnaround is no stranger to Kirkland. After inheriting a 0-11 team at SWOSU, he guided the program to a 4-7 record in 2022, the most wins for the program since 2016. In his first season at New Mexico Highlands, Kirkland led his team to a 5-6 record during the fall of 2021 culminated by a berth in the La Batalla Bowl. This came one year after the team finished 2-9 and three seasons removed from an 0-11 record.
He also engineered huge offensive jumps at both stops including his lone season at SWOSU, where wide outs Isreal Watson and Deshon Moreaux both earned all-conference honors. Quarterback Tylan Morton was second in the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
With NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word in 2018, Kirkland helped guide UIW to the best season in program history as Kirkland and the staff led the Cardinals to a 6-4 regular season record, a conference championship, and UIW's first FCS Playoff appearance – one season removed from a 1-10 record.
In Kirkland's second year with the Cardinals, he helped guide UIW to five wins, including two over ranked opponents. UIW also broke several program records, including pass completions, pass completion percentage, all-purpose yards, and total points.
Kirkland also has experience at the high school level in Texas guiding Kyle Lehman (2017-18), El Paso Parkland (2015-17) and time as associate head coach at Daingerfield (2010-15).
A native of Levelland (TX), Kirkland earned a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M in 2010 and a master’s from Grand Canyon University in 2014. He and his wife, Marina, have three sons Kash, Krew, and Kolt.
Coaching History
2009-11: Daingerfield High, wide receivers
2012-14: Bryan Rudder High, special teams coordinator/wide receivers
2015: Houston Westbury, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
2016: El Paso Parkland High, head coach/athletic coordinator
2017: Lehman High, head coach/athletic coordinator
2018-19: Incarnate Word, assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator
2020-21: New Mexico Highlands, head coach
2022: Southwestern Oklahoma St., head coach
2023-: UNT, director of player personnel
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