The Texas State Bobcats will be getting a new head coach.
G.J. Kinne will be the team’s new coach, announced Don Coryell, director of athletics for Texas State, in a press release.
Kinne, who will be the 21st head coach in the program’s history, is considered the architect of the nation’s top offense.
He has had a coaching career spanning multiple schools, including UCF, SMU, Arkansas, UIW, and Hawaii. He has also served as an offensive analyst for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It’s with great honor that I’m accepting the call to be next head football coach of the Texas State Bobcats,” Kinne shared in the press release. “My family and I cannot wait to start the next chapter of our lives in San Marcos. Thank you to President Damphousse and Don Coryell for affording me an opportunity of a lifetime. I’m excited to hit the ground running and compete for championships.”
“We are going to surround our players with excellent coaches, who down to their roots are teachers at heart,” he continued. “We are going to play fast, have relentless energy, and when the going gets tough, have the mental confidence to win tight games in the second half and represent the state of Texas. Eat ‘Em Up!”
Kinne takes the reigns at Texas State “after constructing a conference champion, a top-10 nationally ranked team, and FCS playoff participant at UIW,” according to the press release.
Coryell said Kinne stood out from the other candidates for the coaching position.
“We are beyond excited to have G.J. lead the next era of Texas State football. We had a tremendous pool of candidates and interest in this role, and Coach Kinne stood out from them all as he is a proven mastermind behind a new-wave offense, a champion with an NFL background, and has a pedigree rooted in Texas,” Coryell shared in the press release.
“He is also a believer in a player-focused culture and full player development, which benefits our student-athletes as they fight and represent Texas State University on and off the field. We are poised for new heights at Texas State, and Coach Kinne rose to the top as the right leader for the Bobcats,” Coryell concluded.
Before starting his career as a coach, Kinne played in the CFL and the NFL.
Kinne has “worked and played for some of the top offensive play callers,” including Chip Kelly, Gus Malzahn, Mike Norvell, and Doug Pederson, according to the press release. This will be Kinne’s second head coaching job.
“My goal was to hire someone with demonstrated leadership experience, success as a head coach, established relationships with Texas football coaches, and success with recruiting and developing players,” Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse shared.
“I sought a leader with a plan to capitalize on our location in the heart of the best high school football in the country, and an eagerness to take on the challenge of re-kindling the national championship success we have enjoyed in the past,” he explained.