Jacksonville native Earl S. Kitchings is a pioneer in the Jacksonville coaching community. He went to Florida A&M University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 1949. He also obtained a Master of Science degree in Education from Columbia University in New York in 1951. Following college, he embarked on a high school coaching career as he served as the assistant football coach for the Matthew Gilbert High School Panthers between 1951-1956. He later became the head coach and athletic director for Matthew Gilbert High School in 1957. While coaching one of the most talented football teams in Florida during the segregation era, Kitchings won the first ever Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association championship football game in 1958 where he led the Matthew Gilbert Panthers to an 11-0 record. The 1958 Matthew Gilbert Panthers outscored its opponents 254-43 and defeated Fort Lauderdale Dillard 14-7 in Florida’s first black state championship game. The Matthew Gilbert Panthers were the FIAA State Runner-up in 1960, finishing with a 9-2 record. Kitchings went on to coach the Matthew Gilbert Panthers until 1964.

He became the first head coach and athletic director at William Raines Senior High School in 1965, where he coached until 1969. While at Raines, he led the school to a FIAA State Football Championship in 1967, finishing with a record of 8-1-1. Kitchings recorded an overall coaching record of 85-33-12 where he was named the City/ Big 9 North Conference Coach of the Year four times while coaching at Matthew Gilbert High School, and the Big 9 North Conference Coach of the Year three times while coaching at William Raines High School. Kitchings won two FIAA State Championships, two Big 9 North Championships, three Gateway 4 Conference Championships, three Gateway 5 Conference Championships and one Gateway 6 Conference Championship. Kitchings was inducted into the William Raines High School Sports Hall of Fame, the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame, the Florida A&M University Sports Hall of Fame, and the Bob Hayes Track Meet Hall of Fame. Kitchings was named Jacksonville City Coach of the Year twice, Gateway 5 Coach of the Year three times, Gateway 6 Coach of the Year twice and he won the 1958 FIAA Big Nine Coach of the Year.

Kitchings served as the athletic director for two different high schools for 11 years, he was a member of the FIAA between 1956-1967, and he served as president of the FIAA between 1963-1967. Kitchings also served as the assistant principal at Fletcher High School in Jacksonville from 1970-1972, the dean of students at Florida State College at Jacksonville from 1974-1988 and dean of students at Edward Waters University from 1990-1991.

William Raines High School’s football stadium is named after Kitchings in his honor. Earl S. Kitchings passed away on April 6, 2009.