Dave Atkins (born May 18, 1949) is an American football coach and former running back. Atkins was the 19th pick in the 8th round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He joined the San Francisco 49ers for the 1973 and 1974 seasons before moving to the San Diego Chargers for the 1975 season. After Atkins finished his pro playing career, he moved into coaching. He had spells as offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals and was the senior offensive assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns for two seasons, 2005 - 2007. In 2019, he became running backs coach for the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL.