After a limit-busting season, Texas State University has locked down the coach behind its football renaissance. G.J. Kinne, the architect of Texas State's first bowl appearance and a record-equalling campaign, has been rewarded with a lucrative contract extension, aiming to solidify the Bobcats future through 2028. Kinne's new deal, as reported by KSAT, commands a base salary of $1 million, on top of which are heaped incentive bonuses should he rack up eight-plus wins a season and snag a Sun Belt Title.
Kinne's revamp of Texas State's football landscape in his inaugural year isn't just a fluke, as the Bobcats posted a 7-5 overall record, nosed their way into second-place in the Sun Belt West Division, and now stand perched on the cusp of their first bowl game ever. That's the kind of performance that gets you noticed, and, as whispers linking Kinne to Power 5 vacancies started circulating, Texas State struck, ensuring their lead man stays put, according to KSAT.
The prestige this brings to Texas State is not lost on the university's higher-ups. "Don Coryell and I share high aspirations for athletics in general and football in particular," Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse told KSAT. "We know that investing in facilities like the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center and the proposed practice facility was only half the solution. Investing in our personnel at a competitive level is just as vital."
Kinne's team is set to face off against Rice in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, the Bobcats rated a snug 4-point favorite. It's a long-awaited chance to put a bow on a boundary-pushing season where Kinne's crew, among other achievements, touted the nation's 10th-best offense and 17th-highest scoring offense while their defense lept to the front of the line in tackles for loss and a top-10 slot in sacks. This information came from KSAT, and the fever-pitch frenzy of their first bowl game will be televised Tuesday on ESPN.
As for the man under the headset, Kinne is raring to keep pushing boundaries. "Our goal is to continue to take this program to new heights, and build on this year’s success," he proclaimed after his contract extension news broke. The aim is clear, the cards are laid out, and for Texas State, it's high time to see how far this hand can take them, a statement obtained by KSAT.
