Kole Wilson scores a kickoff return for a touchdown in the Bobcats last home game against South Alabama. Wilson is one of six players to have played for the 2022 UIW football team that will play for the Bobcats this season.
Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
With Texas State entering the 2024 season with the expectations of winning their first conference championship since 2008, the foundation of Head Coach G.J. Kinne’s 2022 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team can still be found within the Bobcat roster.
Kinne, in his first year as head coach of UIW, led the team to 12-2 record in 2022 while capturing the Southland Conference Championship and a Football Championship Subdivision semifinal berth in the playoffs.
“That was a real special year,” Kinne said. “Anytime you win 12 games, it’s a big accomplishment.”
During the Cardinals playoff run, Kinne was hired to lead the Texas State program following the firing of former head coach Jake Spavital. But when Kinne came to Texas State, he did not come alone.
Following were seven assistant coaches and nine UIW football players, including wide receiver Kole Wilson and offensive lineman Nash Jones.
During the 2023 season, Texas State finished the regular season with a 7-5 overall record, including a season opening win over the Baylor Bears. The Bobcats later qualified and won their first ever bowl to cap their first eight-win season since 2008.
This year, while looking to win a conference championship, the Bobcats went back into the portal for another UIW Cardinal. They brought defensive lineman Steven Parker, who was also on the 2022 UIW team.
After the success of both the 2022 and 2023 seasons at UIW and Texas State, Kinne noted that either one of those players could have played at a prospective Power 5 school but opted to stay.
“Any of those guys, including Parker and Nash that you talk to, they could have gone to a lot of places in the country,” Kinne said. “They chose to come here. A lot of that had to do with the relationships and not just me. You have Coach Huth, Coach [McCoil], Coach Greg and a lot of those guys offensively with Mack and Coach [Shoemaker].”
There are benefits to recruiting a player that you’re already familiar with.
“Just all of that and knowing what they are getting into,” Kinne said. “You talk about the portal and the unknowns, [we] are a known commodity. They knew exactly what they were going to get with us. I think there is something to be said for that.”
Parker made 34 tackles and six sacks for the Cardinals last season as the senior defensive end looks to make an impact in his first season with the Bobcats.
“Parker is going to bring the juice everyday,” Kinne said. “Whether he is sick, feeling bad or something is going on, he is the same guy everyday. There is something to be said for that.”
On choosing Texas State, Parker’s relationship with the previous staff was one of the main reasons for joining up with the Bobcats.
“The coaching staff really let you be loose and who are,” Parker said. “They never try to change you and the defense is pretty good. It was a better fit for me.”
Parker also reunited with his teammate Jones back in the trenches with the duo consistently going up against each other during practices.
“It was great,” Parker said. “Me and Nash, that’s my competition buddy. We are always going at it. It has always been a competition since UIW. … It’s very intense. We have a love-hate relationship. On the field we hate each other but off the field it is all love.”
Seven players remain from the 2022 UIW team that will suit for the Bobcats this season, which includes Jones, Parker, Wilson, Emeka Obigbo, Jimeto Obigbo, Dorian Strawn and Caleb Culp.
Kinne credits his coaching staff for not only helping keep many of the players from transferring but also building strong relationships with the players themselves and giving them a sense of stability.
“I probably take too much credit for that,” Kinne said. “Coach Huth does an unbelievable job as a strength coach. He is one of the best in the business. You have Mack Leftwich and Dexter Mc-Coil who are the best in the business. Coach Greg develops great relationships and an unbelievable recruiter. With all that being said, in this day and age of NIL, the portal and the unknowns, they know they’re going to win, get treated well, and know the schemes.”
For Kinne, building those relationships and forging bonds in the relatively new world of the transfer portal has been the key to the roster stability.
“There is just a lot that goes in,” Kinne said. “When you really think about it, I’m going to go on the portal, leave and go somewhere, there are so many unknowns that people don’t think about. [The players] are with Coach Huth more than anybody, then they are with their position coaches, know the scheme and how I handle things.
“We provide a good spot for those guys and not just the UIW guys but for a lot of kids, because we treat them the right way. We love them, but we make sure we are getting better.”
Despite only spending one year at UIW, Kinne still treasures his time there as well as the work of current Cardinal Head Coach Clint Killough has done to continue their winning ways.
“Coach Killough is an unbelievable coach,” Kinne said. “I talked to him for 30 minutes this morning, and he is my guy. They do a great job, and they are going to continue to win at a high level. They are preseason Top 15 team [in FCS]. That is a powerhouse down there in San Antonio, and I’m really proud of being a part of that organization for a little bit.”
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
We provide a good spot for those guys and not just the UIW guys but for a lot of kids because we treat them the right way. We love them but we make sure they are getting better.
G.J. Kinne
Texas State Head Coach
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