BISMARCK, N.D. -- Mary has selected Josh Kotelnicki as its fifth head coach in school history. The associate head coach and defensive coordinator at FCS North Dakota this past season, Kotelnicki will be publicly introduced as the Marauders head coach at a press conference on Monday.
With coaching experience at winning programs at the FBS, FCS and Division II levels, Kotelnicki has served as a defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator and a position coach while taking on the additional assignment of assistant head coach in 2012.
A native of Litchfield, Minn., Kotelnicki was a team captain and starting outside linebacker on the 2001 UND FCS national championship team. He began his coaching career as an assistant offensive live coach at Murray State in 2002.
After two seasons with the Racers he returned to UND as the outside linebackers coach. During the 2004 and '05 seasons, UND posted a record of 21-6, was the top scoring defense in the nation in 2004, advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2004, won a North Central Conference title in 2005 and qualified again for the national playoffs. He also coached four all-conference selections.
In 2006 Kotelnicki was named the defensive coordinator at Truman State. In his only season with the Bulldogs, the team improved from zero to six wins, he coached four all-conference players and led a defensive that went from eight out of nine in scoring defense to five out of 10.
The next stop for Kotelnicki was Kansas State, where he was a defensive graduate assistant for the 2007 season. He coached the outside linebackers, including an all-league selection, and assisted with special teams.
After a year in the Big 12, he returned to UND as the linebacker coach and special teams coordinator in 2008. As linebackers coach Kotelnicki assisted with the Great West conference’s top scoring, rushing and total defense in 2011 and coached two All-Great West performers. As special teams coordinator for UND through the 2012 season, he coached three All-Great West special teams selections, coached five units to the top statistical rankings in the conference and led the FCS in blocked kicks in 2011.
In January 2012 Kotelnicki was named UND’s recruiting coordinator and added the responsibilities of assistant head coach in August 2012. He was elevated to the defensive coordinator slot at North Dakota in January 2013.
Kotelnicki earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UND in 2002. He completed his master’s degree in business administration from Murray State in 2003.
Kotelnicki replaces Myron Schulz, who resigned the Marauders head coaching position prior to the season. In 15 years as the Mary head coach, Schulz compiled a mark of 103-60, the most wins in program history. The Marauders finished 2013 with a mark of 6-5, the 10th winning season in Schulz’s tenure. Schulz, who was a member of the Marauders coaching staff for 23 out of the school’s 26 varsity seasons, is now a faculty member in Mary’s Gary Tharaldson School of Business.
