Kenny Hrncir admits he still feels those pregame jitters like when he prepared to take the field during his playing days.

“Every Saturday, I get that nervous feeling and want to be in the game with my guys,” Hrncir said.

It’d be unusual if Hrncir didn’t experience any nerves, considering he’s four and a half months and five games into his role of offensive coordinator for UTPB after leading the Falcons program to new heights as quarterback last year.

At 23 years old, Hrncir is the youngest offensive coordinator in college football and is now experiencing the coaching side on gamedays. 

“Last year, I ran out there every week doing what the coach said to do and had fun running around,” Hrncir said. “Now, I understand the game so much more, what we’re trying to do, and how every little detail throughout the week matters during the game.”

Hrncir’s rise to offensive coordinator surprised everyone, including himself. Head coach Kris McCullough knew before he arrived at UTPB that Hrncir would be an assistant coach on his staff and initially named him quarterbacks coach. However, when former co-offensive coordinator Ryan Lusby became the head coach at Dodge City Community College, McCullough tabbed Hrncir to replace Lusby alongside co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Blake Crandall.

Hrncir was prepared for the added responsibilities after following his father, Andy, on his stops as a high school football coach.

“Growing up, you get a sense of responsibility when you’re a coach’s kid. You’ll be on time because that didn’t fly when you were younger,” Hrncir said. “It wasn’t always great, and he’d tell me exactly what I needed to do better after a loss, but it helped me grow.”

Andy currently serves as offensive coordinator at Kermit, less than an hour away from his son. The father-son duo occasionally irritates the matriarch, Amy, with their discussions of sports and football. 

“Sometimes mom will get upset when we talk about football or sports at home, but she’s been a coach’s wife for a long time, so she realizes that when her son is at the house, there will be a lot of football talk,” Kenny said. “I still see my dad quite a bit, and he still shows up at all the games. It’s great having him around.”

The younger Hrncir has another coaching mentor to lean on in McCullough.

“(Kris) was my age now whenever we first met. He’s been put in some situations that you would think is crazy for someone so young,” Hrncir said. “Seeing him go from quarterbacks coach to head coach has been pretty awesome, and I’m glad to be a part of the ride.”

Last year, Hrncir threw for 2,878 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions en route to earning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year and All-Texas Non-FBS Offensive Player of the Year honors. 

This year’s starting quarterback, Dylan Graham, is on pace to post similar numbers or surpass Hrncir’s number from 2024. Graham has 1,364 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions through five games. But that’s not what makes Dylan Graham’s story so unique.

Graham started nine games for the Falcons in 2022, throwing for 1,859 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Yet, when McCullough was named head coach during the offseason, Hrncir decided to transfer to UTPB from East Central to play his final season for McCullough. Graham chose to remain in Midland and serve a redshirt season, hoping to be the starter this year.

“I’m so proud of him for sticking with the process. You won’t find many people during the age of the transfer portal who would stick around with the situation he was put in, but he chose to trust the coaching staff and help build the family culture we have here,” Hrncir said. “Dylan kept fighting every day, even during the spring and fall when he knew he wouldn’t play. He worked hard to prove he would be the dude this year and did exactly that.”

Another rare thing for a 23-year-old is to have a Wikipedia page, which Hrncir didn’t know existed until Carter Yates mentioned it on Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football podcast.

“I almost called him a liar when he said that. But I looked, and I guess I have one,” Hrncir said, laughing, and denied having made or suggested any changes to the page.

Hrncir hopes to follow in the footsteps of his mentors and one day be a head football coach, but he understands he still has a lot to learn before being ready to accept a challenge that significant.

“I see all the things Coach McCullough has to deal with that aren’t even related to football, and I know that’s something a long way down the line for me because I want to learn every detail and continue to grow as a coach before I even think about being a head coach,” Hrncir said. “I’m learning a lot from our offensive line coaches (Tommy Crayton and Spencer Region) about the run game, and they’re teaching me about reading the (defenses) and what we want to run against each one. I’m still learning about why we run routes at certain depths and other fine details I didn’t think about as a player.”