Texas State football program will have a new face roaming the sidelines next fall.
On Friday morning, Texas State Director of Athletics Don Coryell announced the hire of UIW football head coach
G.J. Kinne to assume the same role at Texas State University, making Kinne the 21st head coach in program history. Quickly rising through the coaching ranks, Kinne began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at SMU in 2017 before joining the Philadelphia Eagles staff in 2019 and ultimately being named the head coach at UIW in 2022. Here are five facts about the Bobcats' new football head coach:
1. BORN AND RAISED
G.J. Kinne is the son of Jocelyne Karr and Gary Joe Kinne, who was a former all-conference linebacker at Baylor and a well-known high school football coach around the state of Texas. So, G.J. was born and raised around the game of football.
Kinne began his high school football career playing under his father at Canton (TX) High School, where he led the program to its first playoff win since 1964 and finished as Class 3A area finalist. After his father accepted a coaching job at Baylor, Kinne enrolled at Gilmer (TX) High School, playing for current UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor, and led the Buckeyes to a 10-0 record as a senior.
Kinne, who was rated a three-star quarterback recruit by Scout and Rivals, finished his high school football career having passed for 11,695 yards and 130 touchdowns. He also rushed for 3,327 yards and 48 touchdowns.
2. WHO'S WHO DANCE
During his six-year coaching career, Kinne has worked alongside numerous successful offensive coaches:
- 2008 – 2011 – Tulsa: Gus Malzahn, Mike Norvell
- 2013 – 2015 – Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly, Ryan Day, Press Taylor
- 2017 – SMU: Chad Morris
- 2018 – Arkansas: Joe Craddock
- 2019 – Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson, Press Taylor
- 2021 – UCF: Gus Malzahn
3. CIRCLE OF LIFE
Following a standout collegiate football career at Tulsa, where he was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2010, Kinne signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2012. After being waived two months later, Kinne returned to Philadelphia in 2013 to spend the next two seasons within an organization that featured Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford at the quarterback position during that time.
Kinne was a member of the Eagles organization when Philadelphia capped the 2013 season with a 10-6 record and its seventh NFC East title in 13 seasons.
Four years after being waived by the organization, Kinne returned to Philadelphia when he was named an offensive assistant coach, working with special projects, by then-head coach Doug Pederson on February 25, 2019. That season, the Eagles won 14th NFC East championship in the team's history.
Kinne has been with the Philadelphia Eagle organization when the team won two of its last three NFC East championships.
4. FIRST WITH THE MOST
From research compiled by Craig Haley of Stats Perform/The Analyst, entering UIW's second-round FCS playoff game against Furman this weekend, Kinne is the only first-year FCS head coach with 10-or-more wins during the 2022 season. Additionally, his one loss on the season is the fewest by a first-year FCS head coach with at least seven wins in 2022.
- UIW: G.J. Kinne, 10-1
- Jacksonville State: Rich Rodriguez, 9-2
- New Hampshire: Rick Santos, 9-3
- Delaware: Ryan Carty, 8-4
- Abilene Christian: Keith Patterson, 7-4
- Butler: Mike Uremovich, 7-4
- Southern: Eric Dooley, 7-4
- Idaho: Jason Eck, 7-5
5. WOW FACTOR
In just 11 games during the 2022 season, Kinne guided starting quarterback Lindsey Scott, Jr., and the UIW offense to unprecedented heights. The Cardinals lead all Division I football with a 52.9 points per game clip. They also have the top mark at the FCS level in team passing efficiency (210.08).
For his offensive productivity, Scott, Jr. was one of five finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive performance at the FCS level. He will enter UIW's second-round FCS playoff game having completed 73.17 percent (240-328) of his passes for 3,791 yards and 50 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He averages 344.64 passing yards and game with a 218.12 passer rating.
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