Mike Kolakowski
Assistant Coach
Fourth Season
(Ohio Northern, 1979)

    Former Penguin Defensive Coordinator Mike Kolakowski returns to Youngstown State after spending the past two seasons on the coaching staff at Central Michigan. Kolakowski will help Coach Jon Heacock run the defense while coaching the safeties.
    Kolakowski coached at YSU from 2004-06 and was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach those three seasons. In 2006, the Penguins advanced to the NCAA semifinals and won the conference championship thanks in large part to his defense.
    At Central Michigan, Kolakowski coached the safeties and special teams 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 selection while Codera Jackson was a second-team pick 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.
    Jackson helped make one the biggest impacts under Kolakowski. Jackson led the Gateway and ranked ninth in the FCS in interceptions per contest. His six picks were the most by a Guin since 2001.
    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 MAC (eight years).
    Before taking his role for the Bearcats, he was the secondary coach at Ohio University in 2002. It marked his second coaching stint with the Bobcats (1990-94).
    He was the head coach at California University of Pennsylvania for five seasons from 1997-2001. During his tenure at CUP, Kolakowski¹s teams compiled a 21-32 record, including a 5-5 mark in 2001. His teams won at least five games in each of his last three years, an accomplishment not matched within the program since 1961-63. He was the programs defensive and special teams coordinators as well as the defensive backs coach for two seasons before being elevated to head coach. When he was named head coach, he remained in his role of defensive coordinator.
    Prior to moving to California in 1995, he completed a successful first stint at Ohio. His first four seasons with the Bobcats he was the secondary coach before being named the special teams coordinator as well his final season.
    Besides his stop at the Division II and FBS levels, he is no stranger to FCS competition. He was an assistant coach at FCS programs -- Maine (1989), William & Mary (1981, 1984-88), Morehead State (1982-83) and Cornell (1980).
    He started his coaching career as defensive backs coach for the Cornell freshmen football team in 1980 before moving to William & Mary as a part-time assistant with the defense in 1981. Following a season at William & Mary, he earned his first full-time coaching slot as defensive line coach at Morehead State in 1982 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1983. He returned to William & Mary in 1984, first as secondary coach for four seasons (1984-87) and then as defensive coordinator (1988).
    After a one-year term as defensive coordinator at Maine in 1989, Kolakowski moved to Ohio University.
    A native of Sparta, N.J., Kolakowski played wide receiver for four years at Ohio Northern, graduating in 1979 with a degree in health and physical education.
    Mike and his wife Kristen have two children, Ashley (24) and Ryan (22).