July 22, 2009

Football: Mike Kolakowski Returns to Penguins' Coaching Staff

    Youngstown -- Mike Kolakowski, who served as defensive coordinator at YSU from 2004-06, has returned to the Youngstown State coaching staff to coach the safeties and help with defense, Head Coach Jon Heacock announced on Wednesday.
    Kolakowski spent the past two seasons as safeties/special teams coordinator at Central Michigan under Head Coach Butch Jones. The Chippewas advanced to the Motor City Bowl each of his two years and won the Mid-American Conference Championship Game in 2007. CMU won 16 games - eight each campaign - in his two seasons with the program, including 13 versus league opponents.
    In his three seasons at Youngstown State, the defense improved every campaign and was strong when the Penguins finished the 2006 season 11-3 reaching the FCS semifinals. Six members of his 2006 defense, including both corners, earned first-team all-conference accolades.
    He had All-America selections in each of his final two seasons. During his final year in 2006, Jason Perry was a second-team pick while Codera Jackson was a second-team selection in 2005 and third-team in 2006.     
    In 2005, YSU was first in interceptions, first in passing-efficiency defense and second in pass defense in the conference.
    Also, the Penguins defense was one of the best units in the conference making one of the most impressive turnarounds in league history. The defense ranked first in turnover margin at plus-10, first in scoring defense (16.2 points per game), first in total defense (330.4 yards per game) and fourth in rushing defense. The squad ranked seventh in scoring defense nationally and 12th in turnover margin.
    In 2004, senior strong safety Mike Bracken was named a first-team All-Gateway pick while Perry was an honorable-mention selection.
    A former Division II head coach, Kolakowski originally joined the Youngstown State coaching staff in March 2004 after spending a season as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Cincinnati.
    Kolakowski is a seasoned professional with almost 30 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level. He has spent most of his time at the FCS level (13 seasons) and in the Mid-American Conference (eight years).
    YSU reports for Fall Camp on Wednesday, Aug. 5, with the first practices scheduled for Thursday and Friday. YSU will hold two sessions those days with one group practicing in the morning and another in the afternoon as summer session classes wrapup on August 7.