Mike Krysl enters the first year of his second stint on the Samford football coaching staff. Krysl serves as the team’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.
Krysl returns to Samford from the University of Arkansas where he was a special teams analyst in 2020 and 2021.
Prior to his time at Arkansas, Krysl was the special teams coordinator at Army in 2018 and 2019. Krysl went to Army following his first stint as Samford’s special teams coordinator in 2016 and 2017.
The Bulldogs were first in the Southern Conference in net punting in 2017 under Krysl and eighth in the nation among FCS teams. He mentored Austin Barnard from 22nd in the nation in 2016 to second in the country in 2017 in yards per punt (45.2). Barnard also had 18 punts of 50 or more yards and was a Phil Steele/Associated Press Third Team All-America in 2017. Kicker Jordan Weaver was second in the SoCon in field goals made in 2017 under Krysl with 11 and second in scoring among kickers. Samford also led the SoCon in 2016 in kickoff coverage.
Prior to Samford, Krysl spent two seasons at Georgia Southern University as the director of player development, while also assisting head coach Willie Fritz with the Georgia Southern special teams units.
In 2015, Georgia Southern ended the season with a 9-4 overall record while also claiming a berth in the program’s first ever bowl game which saw the Eagles defeat Bowling Green 58-27 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Krysl was named special teams coordinator during the Eagles’ bowl prep leading up to the game. In 2015 the Eagles’ punt return unit, and kickoff return unit finished number one in the Sun Belt Conference helping returner Derek Keaton earn All-Sun Belt honors as a returner for the second straight season. Also in 2015 the Eagle’s kickoff unit finished first in the Sun Belt while also claiming the number one spot in the FBS. In 2014 Georgia Southern finished the season with a 9-3 overall record while going 8-0 in the program’s first season in the Sun Belt Conference, claiming the outright conference title. Also in 2014 Georgia Southern’s kickoff return unit finished the regular season ranked 16th in the FBS.
Prior to joining the program at Georgia Southern, Krysl served as offensive line/tight ends coach at West Virginia State University in 2013. Aside from his duties leading the offensive line and tight end units, Krysl also served as the program’s strength and conditioning coordinator. While at West Virginia State, junior offensive tackle Ricardo Figueroa earned All-Mountain East honors after starting every game on the offensive line for the Yellow Jackets.
In 2012, Krysl served as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Lexington High School in Lexington, Mo., under head coach Andy Lierman.
Prior to joining the Lexington program, Krysl served as an offensive graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Central Missouri, during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns. In 2011 the Central Missouri program finished with an 8-4 overall record while also earning a trip to the Kanza Bowl, a season which also saw the Mules finish sixth in the nation in passing offense. Central Missouri had its most successful season to date in 2010 finishing with an 11-3 overall record, while also notching a 8-1 mark in the MIAA conference. The 2010 season also led to the first-ever playoff victory for Central Missouri, a 55-35 victory over West Texas A&M. The Mules would finish the 2010 season as a national semifinalist after making it to the third round of the national playoffs. The Mules finished the 2010 season ranked fourth in the nation in both passing offense and scoring offense, while also finishing sixth in total offense.
Krysl earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education, and master’s degree in sports & business administration from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo. Krysl is originally from Hillsboro, Mo., where he attended Hillsboro High School.
