Pete Kwiatkowski (born August 29, 1966) is an American football coach, currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas at Austin.[1] He was previously the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington, and at Boise State University, where he played in the mid-1980s.
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Defensive coordinator |
| Team | Texas |
| Conference | SEC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | August 29, 1966 |
| Playing career | |
| 1984–1987 | Boise State |
| Position(s) | Defensive lineman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1988–1996 | Boise State (DB/OLB/DL) |
| 1997 | Snow (co-DC/DL) |
| 1998–1999 | Eastern Washington (DL) |
| 2000–2005 | Montana State (DC) |
| 2006–2009 | Boise State (DL) |
| 2010–2013 | Boise State (DC) |
| 2014–2017 | Washington (DC) |
| 2018–2019 | Washington (co-DC/OLB) |
| 2020 | Washington (DC/OLB) |
| 2021–present | Texas (DC/OLB) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Awards | |
| |
Playing career
editKwiatkowski played college football at Boise State as a defensive lineman from 1984 to 1987, where he was a first-team All-American (Division I-AA) in 1987.[2] He was an honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press in 1986, Big Sky defensive player of the year in 1987, first-team All-Big Sky (1986, 1987),[3] and honorable mention as a sophomore in 1985.
Kwiatkowski was inducted into the Boise State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.
Coaching career
editEarly years
editKwiatkowski began his coaching career at Boise State in 1988, coaching a number of positions on defense including the defensive backs, outside linebackers, and the defensive line. After nine seasons with the Broncos, he was the co-defensive coordinator position at Snow College in Utah for one season (1997) and the defensive line coach at Eastern Washington in Cheney for two years (1998, 1999).
Montana State
editKwiatkowski moved to Montana State in 2000 and coordinated the Bobcats' defense for six seasons. While in Bozeman, his defenses were a league-best in yards allowed per game, passing defense, and scoring defense. In 2002, on the back of Kwiatkowski's defense the Bobcats earned a spot in the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Boise State
editFollowing a highly successful stretch in Bozeman, Kwiatkowski returned to Boise State in 2006 to coach the defensive line under recently promoted head coach Chris Petersen. In 2010, he was promoted to defensive coordinator and his unit finished second nationally in total defense; he stayed at BSU through 2013.
Washington
editAfter the 2013 season, Kwiatkowski followed Petersen to Washington in Seattle. In his debut season as defensive coordinator for the Huskies in 2014, he coached three to All-American status, including the first unanimous All-American at Washington in 20 years: defensive end Hau'oli Kikaha. Four of Kwiatkowski's players were selected in the first two rounds of the 2015 NFL draft, including three in the first round.[4]
Texas
editIn January 2021, Kwiatkowski accepted an offer from new Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian to become the defensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns.[5] Kwiatkowski cited the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic as a reason for being interested in the position, stating that he'd been interested in the Longhorns ever since he'd watched that game. [6]
References
edit- ^ AP (December 30, 2013). "Chris Petersen announces hires". AP/ESPN. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ "BSU player on Kodak team". Idahonian. (Moscow). Associated Press. December 3, 1987. p. 14A.
- ^ "Top defenders". Idahonian. (Moscow). Associated Press. December 2, 1987. p. 10A.
- ^ "Pete Kwiatkoski Bio". GoHuskies.com. December 26, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
- ^ "How Texas hired new DC Pete Kwiatkowski". January 25, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ "Texas DC Kwiatkowski "Fired Up" For New Look In 2021". August 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.