Player Profiles - of College Football Games

8
Todd Kolster
Offensive Coordinator
Quarterbacks
Todd Kolster enters his seventh year on the Grand Valley State football
coaching staff and his fifth as a full-time coach. Kolster is in his fourth year as
the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
Kolster’s offensive unit has been a model of consistency the last two years.
Grand Valley State has averaged 34.5 points, 186.7 yards per game rushing and
223.1 yards per game passing for a total of 409.9 yards of total offense per
game. During that time, GVSU has won 28 straight games. The Lakers have
scored 127 touchdowns the last two years, averaging nearly five TDs per game
(4.6). The GVSU offense has scored in 93 of the last 112 quarters played and
his 2006 offense scored 72 touchdowns and averaged 35.5 points per game.
Kolster tutored 2006 Harlon Hill Award runner-up and college football’s alltime
winningest QB (51-4), Cullen Finnerty. Finnerty concluded his career as
one of two quarterback in college football history (Steve McNair) to pass for
over 10,500 yards and rush for over 2,000. Finnerty accounted for 141 TDs in
his career. The 2005 squad was one of the most balanced in DII football as
GVSU was one of five teams in the country to average better than 210 yards per
game rushing (211.4) and 220 yards per game passing (220.3). GVSU averaged
431.7 yards per game of total offense.
Grand Valley State has ranked among the GLIAC leaders in every offensive
category during Kolster’s tenure as offensive coordinator. Kolster’s offense has
featured the ability to grind it out or score via the big play.
Eleven offensive performers earned All-GLIAC plaudits in 2006 and 24
have been named All-GLIAC in his three years guiding the offense.
Kolster tutored the Laker running backs from 2001-2003 and played a key
role in a running game that averaged over 220 yards rushing per game for three
straight years. Kolster guided all-american and Harlon Hill candidate Michael
Tennessee, who rushed for a GVSU single-season record 1,633 yards and 16
TDs on 342 carries in 2003. Tennessee set the GVSU single-game (49) and single-season
(342) rushing attempts record and finished his career as the all-time
leading rusher in Laker football history (3,525). In 2002, Kolster coached
Reggie Spearmon, the second all-time leading rusher in GVSU history, and
Brent Lesniak, the fourth all-time leading rusher in Laker history. Spearmon
earned All-GLIAC and all-american honors, while Lesniak was a two-time All-
GLIAC selection. Kolster has mentored three of the top four career rushers in
GVSU football history.
Prior to joining the GVSU staff, Kolster was the defensive coordinator at
East Grand Rapids for one year. Todd was the defensive line coach at his alma
mater, Hope College, for three years.
Kolster played four years of football on the defensive line for Hope College.
He graduated from Hope with a degree in Physical Education/Kinesiology-
Communications and received his Master’s in Adult and Higher Education from
Grand Valley State. Todd and his wife, Kim, reside in Allendale.
2007 Laker Football Media Guide
Coaching Staff
Matt Pawlowski
Defensive Coordinator
Defensive Backs
Matt Pawlowski is set for his fourth year as the defensive coordinator/defensive
backs coach at Grand Valley State. Pawlowski has guided one of the top defenses in
the country the last three years. Under Pawlowski, the Lakers are yielding 280 total
yards per game, 92.4 rushing yards, an 89.1 pass efficiency rating and 13.9 points per
game. GVSU has held its opponents to 10 points or less in 19-of-41 games during
Pawlowski’s tenure as defensive coordinator.
During the Lakers’ current 28-game winning streak, the Lakers have held their
opponents off the scoreboard in 54-of-112 quarters played. In 2006, the Laker defense
held its opponents to seven points or less five times, including a shutout in the season
opener at Findlay. GVSU led the nation in QB sacks per game (3.53), while ranking
fifth in turnovers gained (37) in 2006. The Lakers held 8-of-15 foes under 100
yards rushing. In 2005, the Lakers led the nation in pass efficiency defense (83.6),
ranked third in scoring defense (12.2), ranked fifth in total defense (254.6) and ranked
seventh in rushing defense (88.3). The GVSU defense held 9-of-13 foes under the
100-yard rushing mark. Pawlowski’s defensive units have held 24-of-41 opponents
under the 100-yard rushing mark the last three years. The Laker defensive line has
featured the GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the Year during each of Pawlowski’s three
years, including DT Mike McFadden being named the Gene Upshaw Award winner
in 2005 and 2006 as the nation’s top interior lineman. Pawlowski has tutored 24 players
that have earned All-GLIAC plaudits the last three years.
Pawlowski continued the dominance of Laker defenses in his first year at the
helm. GVSU held six teams to seven points or less with one shutout (34-0 at Wayne
State). The Lakers held Wayne State to a GLIAC record three first downs and GVSU
set school and single-game defensive records for fewest first downs allowed (3),
fewest yards of total offense allowed (69), fewest yards of total offense allowed in
first half (21), fewest yards of total offense allowed in second half (48), fewest rushing
first downs allowed (2), fewest passing first downs allowed (1), fewest yards per
play by an opponent (1.4) and fewest plays by an opponent (48) vs. Wayne State.
Pawlowski arrived at GVSU after spending one year as the defensive coordinator
at Ashland University. Ashland ranked in the top five of six different GLIAC defensive
categories, including four of which the Eagles ranked second.
Prior to Ashland, Pawlowski was the defensive coordinator at Marietta College
(2001-02), the O-line and D-line coach at Stow (Ohio) High School and the linebacker
coach at Eastern Michigan (1999-2000). Pawlowski built a nationally-ranked
defense in his 14 years (1985-99) at St. Cloud State University. The Huskies led the
North Central Conference in total defense five times and ranked second once from
1987-92. Six times during his tenure St. Cloud State ranked among the nation's top
10 in defense. Pawlowski coached the defensive MVP in the North Central
Conference three times while at SCSU.
Pawlowski has worked on the defensive side of the ball for most of his career, but
he's been involved in just about every aspect of coaching. In addition to the above
mentioned schools, Pawlowski spent five years at Ohio University (1979-84) working
with linebacker and defensive backs, one year at Montana State (1978) and one
year at Eastern Montana College (1977).
A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Pawlowski and his wife, Vonee, have three
children: Tara (26), Korie (22) and Tommy (13).