University of Massachusetts football and head coach Walt Bell announced that Donte' Pimpleton has joined the program as running backs coach. Pimpleton arrives in Amherst after spending the past year leading the wide receivers at North Carolina Central, and reunites with Bell as the pair were together at Florida State during 2018.

Due to pandemic-related circumstances, NCCU opted out of competition during the MEAC's Spring 2021 schedule, however Pimpleton was on staff preparing the Eagles' wideouts for a return to play this Fall.

At Florida State, Pimpleton tutored Cam Akers during his final two seasons before exiting as one of the top running backs in program history. In his three-year career, Akers averaged 958 rushing yards per season ranking third all-time at FSU, fifth in carries (586) and eleven 100-yard games which was sixth in the record book. The Seminoles' 2019 squad had six players named All-ACC en route to the Sun Bowl. Akers went on to be selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

In 2018, Pimpleton's group accounted for 1,769 all-purpose yards, led by Akers (866) who also produced eight touchdowns. Akers logged three runs of 50-plus yards, highlighted by an 85-yard scamper tied for the seventh-longest run in program history, tied for fourth in the ACC. He led the team in rushing in 10 of 12 games on the year.

In 2017, Oregon finished second in the Pac-12 and 13th in the NCAA with an average of 251.0 rushing yards per game, and the team's 40 rushing touchdowns tied for seventh in the nation. Oregon's rushing total was paced by six 300-yard games and 10 games of more than 200 yards on the ground. In the season opener, UO scored an FBS-high 77 points behind nine rushing touchdowns, the most in a game in 2017 by an FBS team.

Royce Freeman was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award, and named second-team All-Pac 12 honors after finishing with 1,475 yards on the ground for an average of 122.9 yards per game. His per-game average ranked 10th in the country, and his 16 rushing touchdowns tied for 14th in the nation. Freeman ended his career with a school-record 5,621 rushing yards, the sixth-highest total in NCAA history. He also broke program career records with 60 rushing touchdowns, which ranked 10th in college football history, thirty-one 100-yard rushing games, 6,435 all-purpose yards and 64 total touchdowns. Freeman was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, marking the second straight year a Pimpleton-coached back was drafted.

Pimpleton propelled USF to a program-best record of 11-2 in 2016 while completely rewriting the program's rushing record book. USF set new school records with 3,709 rushing yards, 47 rushing touchdowns, an average of 6.50 yards per rush, an average of 285.7 rushing yards per game, 77 total touchdowns scored, 569 points scored, an average of 43.8 points per game, 300 total first downs and 164 rushing first downs. The Bulls ranked second in the nation in yards per rush, fifth in rushing yards per game and 11th in total offense.

His debut season at USF also made its mark on the record books as the team broke records for most rushing yards with 3,205, highest rushing average of 5.41 yards per carry and most rushing yards per game with 246.5. The team's 28 rushing touchdowns in 2015 ranked second in team history at the time. Pimpleton tutored Marlon Mack for two seasons, helping the school's all-time leading rusher earn first-team all-conference honors in each season and break 14 school records before being picked in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Pimpleton was at Kentucky Wesleyan during 2013-14, as the Panthers' wide receivers coach in 2013 before being elevated to offensive coordinator in 2014. The 2014 squad tied the school record for wins, matching a mark that had stood since 1999. Keelan Cole led Division II in receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receiving touchdowns in 2014 and in 2017 helped the Jacksonville Jaguars win their first division title since 1999.

He served 2010-12 at his alma mater, Western Kentucky, spending two seasons as an offensive quality control assistant before being promoted to wide receivers coach in 2012. The Hilltoppers reached the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the first bowl game in program history. His first collegiate coaching opportunity came in 2009 when he was hired as an offensive quality control assistant at Louisville.

Pimpleton began his coaching career in the high school ranks in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, serving as wide receivers and defensive backs coach for one season at Iroquois High School before handling both roles for two years at his alma mater, Fern Creek High School. Before joining the University of Louisville staff, he spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Doss High School.

Pimpleton played quarterback and wide receiver at Western Kentucky following a prep career as an all-state quarterback at Louisville's Fern Creek High School. At WKU, he gained 1,425 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 165 yards and four touchdowns in a run-heavy offense. He helped lead the Hilltoppers to the 2000 Ohio Valley Conference championship and earned honorable mention All-Gateway Conference honors in 2001. Following his collegiate career, he played three seasons in the Arena Football League and two more seasons in the American Indoor Football League.

Pimpleton earned a bachelor's degree in business and communications from Western Kentucky in 2002. He and his wife, Nicole, have one daughter, Anistyn.


Donte' Pimpleton • Coaching History
2002 • Iroquois High School (Kentucky) • Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs
2006 • Fern Creek High School (Kentucky) • Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs
2007-08 • Doss High School (Kentucky) • Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2009 • Louisville • Offensive Quality Control
2010-11 • Western Kentucky • Offensive Quality Control
2012 • Western Kentucky • Wide Receivers
2013 • Kentucky Wesleyan • Wide Receivers
2014 • Kentucky Wesleyan • Offensive Coordinator
2015-16 • South Florida • Running Backs
2017 • Oregon • Running Backs
2018-19 • Florida State • Running Backs
2020 • North Carolina Central • Wide Receivers

Donte' Pimpleton • Postseason Coaching Experience
2012 • Western Kentucky • Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
2015 • South Florida • Miami Beach Bowl
2016 • South Florida • Birmingham Bowl
2017 • Oregon • Las Vegas Bowl
2019 • Florida State • Sun Bowl