Texas State HC GJ Kinne is no stranger to DKR or to Steve Sarkisian's game

19 years ago, GJ Kinne was suiting up every Saturday for the Texas Longhorns and playing backup quarterback to none other than Colt McCoy.

Kinne transferred to Tulsa just one year later, when it was clear nobody could hold a candle to McCoy when it came to then-head coach Mack Brown's depth chart. He went on to play in the NFL for a few years before kicking off his coaching career.

Now, Kinne is the head coach of none other than the Texas State Bobcats, the very team that the Horns will face in Week 1 of the 2026 season.

While Kinne spent just one year with the Longhorns, he is undoubtedly familiar with the program, and as any head coach does before a matchup, he's doing as much prep work as possible to ensure that familiarity is as strong as ever heading into Saturday.

Kinne has never directly crossed paths with current Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who took over on the 40 Acres in 2021, just two years before Kinne was hired in San Marcos.

So, as Week 1 has flown into focus, he has made sure to acquaint himself with how things are done at his alma mater these days.

'He's elite, s--- he's probably the best out there right now, to be honest with you," Kinne said about Sarkisian's play-calling abilities. "He's so good, has so much experience. The way he sets up the plays... He's got great weapons at his disposal, and I think this is probably the best group he's had."

GJ Kinne is 'not excited' to coach against Steve Sarkisian

Of course, the Longhorns are heavily favored in the matchup, and Sarkisian's lengthy coaching resume (especially in comparison to Kinne's) is just a part of that, on top of the imbalance of talent on the two rosters.

"He's got a veteran quarterback with a couple of draft picks at receiver and running back," Kinne said of Sarkisian's depth. "I"m not excited to play him, but I will be excited to go in there on Sunday and watch it, and maybe add some stuff that they do."

Sarkisian started his coaching career in 2000, when Kinne was just 12 years old, and has held head-coaching positions across the country (Washington, USC, Texas). Kinne got his first coaching job in 2017 as a GA with the SMU Mustangs.

Kinne has the kind of respect for Sarkisian that one must have as they enter the belly of the beast, and that may benefit the Bobcats at least a little bit on Saturday.

However, no matter how much Kinne studies Sarkisian and the Longhorns, and no matter his familiarity with his former home stadium, Texas is the indisputable favorite in Week 1.

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