SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State football completed its coaching staff on Friday as new head coach G.J. Kinne revealed Daniel Da Prato as the special teams coordinator/associate head coach and Will Bryant as the tight ends coach.
 
"Coach Da Prato and Coach Bryant are great men to finish out announcing our coaching staff here at Texas State," said Kinne. "Will is a former Texas high school football coach who has great relationships throughout the state. He is a great teacher and evaluator of talent, which are attributes I've seen firsthand having worked together at three different stops. Daniel, meanwhile, brings 19 years of Division I coaching experience to San Marcos. Through his infectious energy, his special teams units have led the country, set NCAA records, produced All-Americans, and landed numerous players on NFL rosters."
 
A coach at the Division I level since 2004, Da Prato arrives in San Marcos after spending the last three seasons at South Florida as the special teams coordinator. He also served as the interim head coach for the final month of the past season.
 
In 2021, he led the Bulls to the ninth-most efficient special teams unit in the nation, according to ESPN, and coached Brian Battie to consensus All-America honors. Battle led the nation with three kickoff returns for touchdowns, including an NCAA record-tying two 100-yard returns in the same game. Overall, the Bulls were fifth in the country in kickoff returns and 15th in punt returns.
 
Da Prato spent the 2019 season at Arkansas, working alongside Bryant on Chad Morris' staff, and helped the Razorbacks special teams rank 10th in the nation with 17.29 yards per kick return. Da Prato's special teams unit also finished that year 20th nationally in punt return defense. He tutored Treylon Burks, who earned All-SEC second team honors as a return specialist.
 
Prior to Arkansas, Da Prato spent three years at Colorado (2016-18) as director of quality control for the offense. In addition to helping the offensive staff with the planning and implementation of practice and game plans, he was also involved with game planning for the special teams units.
 
A graduate of ULM and originally from central California, Da Prato began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 2004 and 2005. The former Warhawk quarterback was promoted to director of operations and recruiting coordinator in 2006.
 
He also has coaching stops at Sacramento State (2007-12) and Montana State (2013-15). Coaching wide receivers, tight ends and special teams at those two schools, he tutored Tony Washington to All-American honors at Sacramento State and Beau Sandland and Shawn Johnson to All-American accolades at Montana State.
 
Bryant joins the Bobcats from UIW, where he was the tight ends and H-back coach, academic coordinator and point person for high school relations in 2022. He helped the Cardinals establish the nation's No. 1 scoring offense at both the FBS and FCS levels while also finishing No. 2 in the FCS in total offense. The team set a school record for rushing yards with 3,011 and was No. 2 in FCS in passing offense.
 
Prior to UIW, Bryant was the associate head coach and running backs coach for Allen High School in Allen, Texas in 2021.
 
Bryant, originally from Amarillo, Texas, has worked at the collegiate level for Auburn (offensive analyst, 2020), UTSA (offensive analyst, 2020), Arkansas (senior offensive analyst, 2018-19), and SMU (graduate assistant, 2015-18). A graduate of Texas Tech, Bryant worked with Kinne at UIW, Arkansas and SMU.
 
With today's announcements, Kinne has completed his staff of 10 assistant coaches. Offensively, Mack Leftwich was named the offensive coordinator and is flanked by Jordan Shoemaker (offensive line/running game coordinator), Craig Stutzmann (wide receivers/passing game coordinator), Kam Martin (running backs), and Bryant (tight ends). Defensively, defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke will work alongside Matthew Gregg (cornerbacks), Dexter McCoil, Sr. (safeties), and Mike O'Guin (defensive line).
 
Bret Huth was named Assistant Athletic Director – Strength & Conditioning for Football as well.