Daren Wilkinson now enters his second year as the Offensive Coordinator for Pack football.
Wilkinson headed an offense for the ThunderWolves in 2021 and helped guide the Pack to a 6-5 record in 2021.
In January of 2020, CSU Pueblo Head Football Coach
John Wristen announced Wilkinson as the next Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for the ThunderWolves. Wilkinson returns to the Pack coaching staff after serving in the same role in 2013 and 2014.
Wilkinson brings more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Pack. After his two seasons at CSU Pueblo, where he helped guide the ThunderWolves to the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship, Wilkinson accepted the head coach position at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Wilkinson's tenure at TAMUK included three All-America selections, 10 All-Super Region Four accolades and 59 student-athletes were named to the All-Lone Star Conference teams. The Javelinas also gathered five individual awards from the conference office. In five seasons the team recorded a 21-35 overall record and an 11-28 mark in LSC play.
He had one of the most impressive turnaround seasons in the NCAA, regardless of Division, in 2016, turning a 2-9 program to a 9-3 team in his second year at the helm. For his efforts he was named the LSC Coach of the Year and also guided the Javelinas to a postseason victory at the Fourth Annual Agent Barry Live United Bowl, defeating Southern Arkansas, 24-17.
A&M-Kingsville's 2016 season ended on a seven-game win streak, six in the conference, the second longest win streak to end the season in the Lone Star State. The Javelinas ended the regular season third in the LSC standings after being picked to finish in the bottom three. Defensive lineman Brandon Jones was a Harlon Hill Finalist.
Wilkinson served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in his first stint with the ThunderWolves. The crowning achievement was the National Championship in a season where the Pack finished 14-1 overall and shared the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship with an 8-1 record. Three offensive players, including running back Cameron McDondle, earned Daktronics All-Super Region 4 honors.
CSU Pueblo averaged nearly 35 points per game and 400 yards per game in 2014. Under his guidance, quarterback Chris Bonner was propelled to All-America honorable mention honors in 2013 and ranked 18th in the nation in 2014 with 30 passing touchdowns.
In his first season as offensive coordinator for CSU Pueblo, Wilkinson guided the ThunderWolves to 509.3 yards of offense per game and 42.7 points per contest, to rank sixth and seventh nationally, respectively. Bonner received all-region accolades by tallying 33 touchdowns, seventh most in the country.
Before he joined CSU Pueblo, Wilkinson spent four seasons as the quarterbacks coach and assistant recruiting coordinator for NCAA Division I program and his alma mater, Colorado State. From 2004-07 he served as the OC and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach at South Dakota State. Prior to SDSU, Wilkinson had stints at Fayetteville State (2001-03, Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach) and Eastern Arizona (2000, Offensive Coordinator; 1999, Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach). He began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant at Colorado State.
As a player, Wilkinson started seven games for Colorado State in 1995 as a junior, leading the Rams to a share of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title. Joining the Rams after a sensational playing career at Ricks Junior College (now BYU-Idaho), he went 21-2 as a starter and was crowned the College Sports Magazine Junior College Player of the Year in 1994. That season, he earned first team All-American honors, leading the squad to an 11-0 mark and throwing for over 3,000 yards en route to the school's all-time passing record.
Growing up in Valley Center, Calif., Wilkinson was a two-sport athlete at Orange Glen High School, lettering in both basketball and football. He earned second team all-conference honors on the gridiron.
Born Feb. 11, 1972, in Corona, Calif., he owns two degrees from Colorado State, a Bachelors in Psychology ('97) and a Master's in Education ('99). He and his wife Ann have three children, Alexa, Macy and Jet.
