Jeff Genyk, a veteran with over 25 years of college coaching experience and a former Northwestern assistant, was named the program's special teams coordinator on Feb. 9, 2018.
Charlie Kuhbander finished the 2019 campaign with 10 made field goals and was a perfect 2-for-2 on kicks from 40-plus. Chris Bergin was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring an 85-yard touchdown on a blocked field goal return, recovered a fumble on kickoff and tallied three special teams tackles in the win vs. UMass.
In Genyk’s return to Evanston for the 2018 season, he was instrumental in bringing in graduate transfer punter Jake Collins, who immediately took the starting role. Collins averaged over 40 yards per punt and totaled the second most punt yards in the Big Ten with 3,199.
The Wildcats also averaged more yards on punt and kick returns than their opponents on the season and scored a special teams touchdown off a blocked punt against No 3 Notre Dame.
From 1994-2003, Genyk coached at Northwestern, with responsibility for the special teams unit during each of his final five seasons. He was also the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator for five seasons (1999-2003) after having worked with the safeties in 1998 and the linebackers in 1997. During his first five campaigns, he was the schools Director of Football Operations from 1994-96 and a defensive graduate assistant from 1992-93.
Northwestern won three Big Ten championships and appeared in four bowl games during Genyk's first tenure in Evanston. The 1995, 1996 and 2000 teams all won Big Ten titles. The 1995 squad played in the Rose Bowl, the 1996 team was in the CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl and the 200 club played in the Alamo Bowl. NU also participated in the 2003 Motor City Bowl.
Genyk was most recently Vanderbilt's special teams coordinator and running backs coach for two seasons after serving as a consultant on the Northwestern staff in 2015 when the 'Cats went 10-3 and earned a New Year's Day invitation to the Outback Bowl.
The Commodores ranked 17th in the country in kick returns in Genyk's first season in charge of their special teams unit, averaging 23.61 yards per return, and were in the top half of the Southeastern Conference in kick returns in 2017. He also helped placekicker Tommy Openshaw produce one of the finest seasons ever by a Commodore. Openshaw's 15 field goals in 2016 tied the fourth highest total in program history.
Prior to his second stint with Northwestern in 2015, Genyk was the special teams coordinator and worked with the tight ends at Wisconsin in 2013-14. He held similar roles at Cal from 2010-12.
While in Berekely, Genyk led dramatic improvement with the Cal special teams units, including back-to-back first-team All-Pac 12 selections in kicker Giorgio Tavecchio and punter Bryan Anger.
Genyk was the head coach at Eastern Michigan from 2004-08. He coached the Eagles to their best conference finish in seven years in 2004 with a third-place showing in the West Division of the Mid-American Athletic Conference. While at Eastern Michigan, he coached three All-Americans in linebacker Daniel Holtzclaw, defensive end Jason Jones and placekicker Andrew Wellock. Jones was a second-round selection of Tennessee in the 2008 NFL Draft who just completed his ninth professional season.
He also coached offensive lineman T.J. Lang, who was selected by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft and was most recently named a Pro Bowl selection as a member of the Detroit Lions.
A native of Milan, Michigan, Genyk was a quarterback and punter at Bowling Green State University from 1978-81. He earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from BGSU in 1982. He later earned a master's of business administration and marketing from Western Michigan University in 1989 and a master's of education and social policy from NU in 1994.
Genyk and his wife Lisa are the parents of a son, Jake, and a daughter, McKenna.
GENYK'S COACHING CAREER
2018: Northwestern, Special Teams Coordinator
2016-17: Vanderbilt, Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
2015: Northwestern, Special Teams, Game Management and Offensive Consultant
2013-14: Wisconsin, Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
2010-12: California, Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
2004-08: Eastern Michigan, Head Coach
1993-2003: Northwestern, Running Backs/Special Teams Coach
1997-98: Northwestern, Linebackers
1992-94: Northwestern, Defensive Graduate Assistant
1990-91: Grand Rapids (Mich.) C.C., Quarterbacks/Tight Ends Coach
Charlie Kuhbander finished the 2019 campaign with 10 made field goals and was a perfect 2-for-2 on kicks from 40-plus. Chris Bergin was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring an 85-yard touchdown on a blocked field goal return, recovered a fumble on kickoff and tallied three special teams tackles in the win vs. UMass.
In Genyk’s return to Evanston for the 2018 season, he was instrumental in bringing in graduate transfer punter Jake Collins, who immediately took the starting role. Collins averaged over 40 yards per punt and totaled the second most punt yards in the Big Ten with 3,199.
The Wildcats also averaged more yards on punt and kick returns than their opponents on the season and scored a special teams touchdown off a blocked punt against No 3 Notre Dame.
From 1994-2003, Genyk coached at Northwestern, with responsibility for the special teams unit during each of his final five seasons. He was also the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator for five seasons (1999-2003) after having worked with the safeties in 1998 and the linebackers in 1997. During his first five campaigns, he was the schools Director of Football Operations from 1994-96 and a defensive graduate assistant from 1992-93.
Northwestern won three Big Ten championships and appeared in four bowl games during Genyk's first tenure in Evanston. The 1995, 1996 and 2000 teams all won Big Ten titles. The 1995 squad played in the Rose Bowl, the 1996 team was in the CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl and the 200 club played in the Alamo Bowl. NU also participated in the 2003 Motor City Bowl.
Genyk was most recently Vanderbilt's special teams coordinator and running backs coach for two seasons after serving as a consultant on the Northwestern staff in 2015 when the 'Cats went 10-3 and earned a New Year's Day invitation to the Outback Bowl.
The Commodores ranked 17th in the country in kick returns in Genyk's first season in charge of their special teams unit, averaging 23.61 yards per return, and were in the top half of the Southeastern Conference in kick returns in 2017. He also helped placekicker Tommy Openshaw produce one of the finest seasons ever by a Commodore. Openshaw's 15 field goals in 2016 tied the fourth highest total in program history.
Prior to his second stint with Northwestern in 2015, Genyk was the special teams coordinator and worked with the tight ends at Wisconsin in 2013-14. He held similar roles at Cal from 2010-12.
While in Berekely, Genyk led dramatic improvement with the Cal special teams units, including back-to-back first-team All-Pac 12 selections in kicker Giorgio Tavecchio and punter Bryan Anger.
Genyk was the head coach at Eastern Michigan from 2004-08. He coached the Eagles to their best conference finish in seven years in 2004 with a third-place showing in the West Division of the Mid-American Athletic Conference. While at Eastern Michigan, he coached three All-Americans in linebacker Daniel Holtzclaw, defensive end Jason Jones and placekicker Andrew Wellock. Jones was a second-round selection of Tennessee in the 2008 NFL Draft who just completed his ninth professional season.
He also coached offensive lineman T.J. Lang, who was selected by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft and was most recently named a Pro Bowl selection as a member of the Detroit Lions.
A native of Milan, Michigan, Genyk was a quarterback and punter at Bowling Green State University from 1978-81. He earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from BGSU in 1982. He later earned a master's of business administration and marketing from Western Michigan University in 1989 and a master's of education and social policy from NU in 1994.
Genyk and his wife Lisa are the parents of a son, Jake, and a daughter, McKenna.
GENYK'S COACHING CAREER
2018: Northwestern, Special Teams Coordinator
2016-17: Vanderbilt, Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
2015: Northwestern, Special Teams, Game Management and Offensive Consultant
2013-14: Wisconsin, Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
2010-12: California, Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
2004-08: Eastern Michigan, Head Coach
1993-2003: Northwestern, Running Backs/Special Teams Coach
1997-98: Northwestern, Linebackers
1992-94: Northwestern, Defensive Graduate Assistant
1990-91: Grand Rapids (Mich.) C.C., Quarterbacks/Tight Ends Coach