Pete Kwiatkowski was content to stay in Washington for an eighth season. In fact, other schools had inquired about openings, and none aroused the interest of the defending coordinator. But when Jeff Banks, the newly hired special teams coordinator at Texas and a longtime know-how of coaching, reached out last weekend to gauge Kwiatkowski’s interest in the Longhorns defensive coordinator position, Kwiatkowski knew it was time to make a change. to consider.
On Tuesday, he had accepted an offer to become defensive coordinator under new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
Kwiatkowski spoke to The Athletic on Wednesday afternoon about his time in Washington, the opportunity ahead in Texas, and why he felt now was the right time to take a step. Comments have been edited slightly for clarity and length.
Did you know Sark before?
I knew him in recruiting long ago in Orange County and LA. After coaching with Justin (Wilcox) …