FootballScoop is proud to announce that Pete Kwiatkowski (Texas) is the recipient of the 2024 FootballScoop Defensive Coordinator of the Year presented by AstroTurf as selected by prior winners.
Most defenses have to make a choice between limiting big plays by the opposing offense and creating big plays of their own. In 2024, Texas was not most defenses.
For starters, no defense put a lid on opposing offenses quite like Texas. As of press time, Texas led the nation with 2.29 gains of 20-plus yards surrendered per game, and also led the nation with 8.64 plays of 10 or more yards allowed. Only 0.29 rushes per game went for more than 20 yards -- fewest nationally -- and the Longhorns also ranked second in the nation with just 5.79 completions per game gaining 10 or more yards.
On a down-to-down basis, Texas ranked second in the nation at 4.17 yards per play, and their 261.1 yards per game average ranked third in the country. Kwiatkowski's unit was 10th in the nation at 104.2 rushing yards per game allowed, and 11th in the country at 3.11 yards per carry. While excelling at limiting big plays, Texas also rose to the occasion in key moments. Kwiatkowski's unit secured landmark wins over Texas A&M and Clemson in the College Football Playoff with goal line stands, stuffing third- and fourth-down runs both times.
While being stingy on the ground, Texas was also the most perilous team in the country to pass against. Opposing passers completed a respectable 59.3 percent of their 408 attempts as of press time, but their 242 completions traveled just 156.9 yards per game and 5.4 yards per attempt, which led the nation. Of those 408 passes, just seven resulted in touchdowns. Texas went five consecutive games -- 149 passes -- without allowing a touchdown pass.
So while Texas was better than any team in the nation at preventing opponents from moving the football, Kwiatkowski's group was as good as anyone at creating big plays of their own. Texas tied for the national lead with 20 interceptions and forced 16 fumbles, fourth nationally. Texas also ranked fourth with 41 sacks and fifth with 102 tackles for loss.
Texas also ranked fifth in the nation by limiting opponents to 30.21 percent on third down and placed seventh by allowing 14 touchdowns in 31 red zone trips.
Add it all up and you get a defense that yielded just 13.3 points per game, second nationally. The Texas defense pitched two shutouts and held four opponents to 10 points or fewer. Seven opponents posted their season-low scoring output against the Longhorns.
In a compliment to Kwaitkowski's coaching, he fielded the best unit in the country while deploying only three all-conference players. Cornerback Jahdae Barron was a First Team All-SEC honoree, linebacker Anthony Hill, Jr., made the Second Team, and safety Andrew Mukuba was a Third Team selection. Barron won the Thorpe Award as college football's defensive back, was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy as the best defensive player in the nation, and was a consensus First Team All-American. Defensive end Colin Simmons was a consensus Freshman All-American and won the Shaun Alexander Award as the top true freshman in college football.
Kwiatkowski himself is a finalist for the Broyles Award as the top overall assistant coach in the country.
A standout defensive end in his own right, Kwiatkowski won the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year award and was an AP Honorable Mention All-American at Boise State from 1984-87. Kwiatkowski started his career at his alma mater in 1988 and, between stops at Snow College, Eastern Washington, and Montana State, returned to Boise State in 2006 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2010. He then served as Washington's defensive coordinator from 2014-20 and was an original member of Steve Sarkisian's Texas staff in 2021.
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Tim Banks [Tennessee], Al Golden [Notre Dame], Bryant Haines [Indiana], Robert Livingston [Colorado] and Kwiatkowski) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Previous winners of the Defensive Coordinator of the Year award are Nick Holt (USC, 2008), Kirby Smart (Alabama, 2009), Vic Fangio (Stanford, 2010), John Chavis (LSU, 2011), Bob Diaco (Notre Dame, 2012), Pat Narduzzi (Michigan State, 2013), Brent Venables (Clemson, 2014), Don Brown (Boston College, 2015), Jim Leavitt (Colorado, 2016), Kevin Steele (Auburn, 2017), Bob Shoop (Mississippi State, 2018), Phil Snow (Baylor, 2019), Mike Hankwitz (Northwestern, 2020), Jim Knowles (Oklahoma State, 2021), Jesse Minter (Michigan, 2022), and Phil Parker (Iowa, 2023).
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