Gary Joe "G. J." Kinne III (born December 1, 1988) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
coach and former
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
who is currently the
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
at
Texas State University
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...
(TXST) in
San Marcos, Texas. He was signed by the
New York Jets as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2012. He played
college football at
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
. Kinne converted from quarterback to
wide receiver in 2015 in hopes of making the Eagles roster in 2015, but failed to make the team. He was signed by the
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...
of the CFL in 2016, and later signed with the Roughriders in June 2016 before moving into coaching.
Kinne is the incoming head coach at
Texas State University
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...
, and will assume that position at the conclusion of 2022 season.
Early years
Kinne was born in
Mesquite, Texas
Mesquite is a suburban city located east of the city of Dallas, Texas, in the United States. Most of the city is located in Dallas County, though a small portion extends into Kaufman County. As of 2019 census estimates, the population was ...
, a suburb just east of
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, to Gary Joe Kinne and Jocelyne Karr. His father was a former standout linebacker at
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...
and later an assistant coach at
Allen High School,
Kaufman High School, and was the defensive coordinator at
Mesquite High School. In 2003, his father accepted the head coaching job at
Canton High School in
East Texas
East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region cons ...
, a town about 70 miles east of Dallas. Kinne became the starting quarterback of the Eagle varsity football team as a freshman. In his first game against rival
Grand Saline High School
Grand Saline High School is a public high school located in Grand Saline, Texas ( USA) and classified as a 3A school by the UIL. It is part of the Grand Saline Independent School District located in northeast Van Zandt County. In 2015, the sc ...
, Kinne played well and exhibited a strong arm and good accuracy despite a 20–13 loss. It would be a rare loss as he led Canton High to its first playoff victory since 1964 and finished the year as Class AAA area finalists with an 8–4 record. He was named ''All East Texas'' and was named ''The Tyler Morning Telegraph''
's East Texas Newcomer of the year. As a sophomore, he led CHS to another good season with an 8–2 record but narrowly missed the playoffs. In March 2017 he married Summer Dawn McCall, a former Tulsa cheerleader.
Father's shooting
In the spring of 2005, Kinne's father, who was also his coach at Canton High, was shot in the chest by the disgruntled parent of one of the players he coached. According to police reports, Jeff Doyal Robertson, the father of a player who had often complained to coaches and administrators regarding the way his son was treated, walked into the Canton Fieldhouse and shot Coach Kinne at point blank range. Robertson then fled in his pickup truck and headed east towards
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...
. Kinne Sr. was on the phone with another coach who was at another school when he was shot. Kinne Jr. was taken by police into protective custody, and then told that his father had died when in fact he had survived despite being given only a 10% chance to live. Robertson was later apprehended in an area north of Tyler near
Interstate 20 where he had slashed his wrists in an apparent
suicide attempt. Robertson was convicted of
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Senior year
After the shooting, Kinne stayed one more year at Canton High School, leading the team to its best season in school history with a 12–2 record, losing to
Tatum High School, the eventual state champion. After the 2005 season, Kinne's father, who had recovered from his wounds, was offered a job at
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...
, which he accepted. Kinne then decided to move to
Gilmer, Texas
Gilmer is a city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, Texas. It is best known for being the home of the East Texas Yamboree and the birthplace of popular music singers Don Henley of the Eagles band and Johnny Mathis, as well as blues musicia ...
about 70 miles to the east of Canton, to live with his mother and step-father. The decision to move was controversial as many speculated that Kinne moved for athletic reasons, which is prohibited by the UIL, the governing body of Texas High school athletics. Kinne enrolled at
Gilmer High School
Gilmer High School is located in North Georgia in the city of Ellijay, Georgia, United States. It serves Gilmer County. It was established in August 1956 and enrolls about 1182 students in grades 9-12. It is a public high school of the State of ...
and became the starting quarterback, leading the Buckeyes to a 10–0 record, but was upset in the first round of the playoffs by Liberty-Eylau High School. He finished his career with 11,695 passing yards and 130
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
passes. He also rushed 3,327 yards with 48 touchdowns.
Kinne committed to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
on December 28, 2006. Kinne also received football scholarships from
Baylor,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
,
Oklahoma and
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
.
College career
Kinne attended the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
as a redshirt freshman in 2007, but was buried in the depth chart and decided to transfer. On May 7, 2008, he announced that he would transfer to the
University of Tulsa. After sitting out the 2008 season due to transfer rules, Kinne became the starting quarterback for the Golden Hurricane in 2009 and remained the starter throughout his career. He finished his career with 9,472 yards and 81 touchdowns. In January 2012, Kinne was named MVP of the
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game for NFL draft-eligible college players, held annually in January. The event was founded in 2012 by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Players predom ...
.
Professional career
New York Jets
Kinne signed with the
New York Jets as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
on April 28, 2012. He was waived by the team on June 28.
Omaha Nighthawks
Kinne joined the roster of the
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks were a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which played in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. During their first season, the Nighthawks played their home gam ...
of the
United Football League for their 2012 season. The
United Football League folded later that year.
San Antonio Talons
Kinne signed with the
San Antonio Talons
The San Antonio Talons were a professional arena football team based in San Antonio, Texas. They played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Their home arena was the Alamodome, following their relocation to San Antonio for the 2012 season.
The t ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
in December 2012.
Philadelphia Eagles
On February 28, 2013, Kinne signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, and he was released on August 30, 2013. On October 22, 2013 Kinne was re-signed to the Eagles practice squad because of injuries to both of its top quarterbacks,
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...
and
Nick Foles
Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona and was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL D ...
. Kinne was signed to a futures contract with the Eagles in January 2014. He was released on August 30, but signed to the practice squad the next day. Kinne signed a futures contract with the Eagles on December 30, 2014.
He converted to wide receiver in May 2015. On Sunday, August 30, 2015, Kinne was again waived by the Eagles.
New York Giants
On September 9, 2015, Kinne was signed by the
New York Giants and was placed on the practice squad. On September 16, 2015, he was released by the Giants. On September 30, 2015, he was re-signed to the Giants' practice squad. On January 4, 2016, Kinne signed a reserve/future contract with the Giants. On May 5, 2016, the Giants waived Kinne.
Calgary Stampeders
Kinne signed with the
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL) on June 13, 2016. Less than a week later, on June 19, 2016, Kinne was released by the team.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Signed with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
(CFL) on June 24, 2016. Kinne made his CFL debut in the final game of the
2016 CFL season
The 2016 CFL season was the 63rd season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 59th Canadian Football League season. Toronto hosted the 104th Grey Cup on November 27. The regular season began on June 23 and ended on November 5.
...
, completing 4 of 11 pass attempts for 24 yards. Kinne announced his retirement from professional football on May 9, 2017.
Coaching career
Early coaching career
In 2017, Kinne was hired as an assistant coach with
SMU under coach
Chad Morris
Chad Allen Morris (born December 4, 1968) is an American football coach. He is currently an offensive analyst at South Florida. Morris served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2015 to 2017 and the University ...
. When Morris joined the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
before SMU played in the
Frisco Bowl
The Frisco Bowl is an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned post-season Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game played in Frisco, Texas, since December 2017. The bowl has a tie-in with t ...
, new head coach
Sonny Dykes
Daniel "Sonny" Dykes (born November 9, 1969) is an American football coach, and a former college baseball player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Christian University (TCU), and previously served in the same role at Southern Meth ...
chose to have Kinne serve as offensive coordinator and play caller for the bowl game. Kinne eventually followed Morris to Arkansas in 2018 as an offensive analyst.
On February 25, 2019, Kinne was named an offensive assistant coach for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, working with special projects.
Hawaii
On January 31, 2020, it was announced that Kinne was leaving the Eagles to become the offensive coordinator for the
University of Hawaii
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
under head coach
Todd Graham
Michael Todd Graham (born December 5, 1964) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2020–2021). Graham has served as the head football coach at Rice ...
.
UCF
Kinne joined the staff at
UCF as their co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021. Having previously played and been mentored by
Gus Malzahn
Arthur Gustavo Malzahn III (; born October 28, 1965) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Central Florida ( UCF). He was the head football coach at Auburn University from 2013 to 2020. During the 20 ...
at Tulsa.
Incarnate Word
On December 21, 2021, Kinne was announced as the new head football coach at the
University of the Incarnate Word
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is a private, Catholic university with its main campus in San Antonio and Alamo Heights, Texas. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the university's main campus is located o ...
(UIW).
Texas State
Texas State University
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...
hired Kinne on December 2, 2022, to replace
Jake Spavital
Jacob Stephen Spavital (born May 1, 1985) is an American college football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the California Golden Bears. He previously served as the head football coach at Texas State University from 2019 to 2022.
Coachi ...
. Kinne took over following the conclusion of Incarnate Word's season.
Head coaching record
References
External links
Incarnate Word profileSMU profileTexas bioTulsa bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinne, G. J.
1988 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
American football wide receivers
American players of Canadian football
Canadian football quarterbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches
Calgary Stampeders players
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football coaches
Incarnate Word Cardinals football coaches
New York Giants players
New York Jets players
Omaha Nighthawks players
Philadelphia Eagles coaches
Philadelphia Eagles players
San Antonio Talons players
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
SMU Mustangs football coaches
Texas State Bobcats football coaches
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football players
UCF Knights football coaches
People from Gilmer, Texas
People from Mesquite, Texas
Coaches of American football from Texas
Players of American football from Texas
Texas Longhorns football players