Dave Kotulski - Football Coach - Lehigh University Athletics

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Upcoming Event: Football at Fordham on October 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
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at Fordham
Upcoming Event: Football versus Georgetown on November 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM
12:00 PM
Football
vs Georgetown
Upcoming Event: Football versus Holy Cross on November 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM
12:00 PM
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vs Holy Cross
Upcoming Event: Football at Colgate on November 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
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at Colgate
Upcoming Event: Football at Lafayette on November 22, 2025 at 12:30 PM
12:30 PM
Football
at Lafayette

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Dave Kotulski

Title:
Defensive Coordinator
Email:
djk206@lehigh.edu
Phone:
610-758-6071
Alma Mater:
Fourth season

Dave Kotulski is in his fourth season as the Mountain Hawks defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Kotulski came to Lehigh after serving as the defensive coordinator at Patriot League rival Holy Cross during the 2005 season.

In 2008, the Mountain Hawks defense led the Patriot League and ranked 26th nationally in sacks with 26, which included a season best eight in Lehigh’s victory over archrival Lafayette, and they paced the league with 18 interceptions. Lehigh also ranked second in the league in scoring defense and rushing defense, and pitched a 19-0 shutout versus Drake in the season opener – marking the first time in nearly a decade Lehigh has posted shut out wins in back-to-back seasons. Six members of Kotulski’s defense were honored with All-Patriot League accolades, including linebacker Matt Cohen who led the league in both sacks and tackles-for-loss, while Tim Diamond ’09 and Brian Jackson ’09 earned All-America honors for the second consecutive season and Quadir Carter ’09 also garnered All-America status.

Kotuslski’s 2007 defensive unit ranked second in the Patriot League and 23rd in America in scoring defense (21.1 ppg) and third in total defense and rushing defense. Kotulski mentored six All-Patriot League selections, including a pair of linebackers, and three All-Americans. One of those All-America selections was linebacker Tim Diamond, who became the first Mountain Hawk since 2004 to register 100+ tackles, and solidified his spot amongst the nation’s best with a 22-tackle performance in Lehigh’s win over eventual Ivy League Champion Harvard in late September.

In 2006, Kotulski coached a Lehigh defense that led the Patriot League in scoring defense (20.2 ppg) and turnover margin (+6), and ranked second in total defense, pass efficiency defense and red-zone defense. That season, the Mountain Hawks placed seven student-athletes on the All-Patriot League teams.

While at Holy Cross, Kotulski’s defensive unit ranked second in the Patriot League in red zone defense, and linebacker Dan Adams ranked third in the league by registering 10.5 tackles per game. As a team, the Crusaders ranked seventh nationally in turnover margin at +1.0 per contest. Kotulski also headed the Holy Cross punt return unit, and the Crusaders led the league and ranked sixth nationally, posting an average of over 16 yards per punt return.

Prior to his arrival at Holy Cross, Kotulski spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Utah State University in the Western Athletic Conference. In 2003, Kotulski was a nominee for the Division I-A national assistant coach of the year award. That year, the Aggies’ total defense improved 64 places in the national rankings, and 63 spots in the passing defense annals.

Kotulski has also made coaching stops at Bucknell University, where he was the interim head coach in 2002, Saint Mary’s College (Calif.), and the University of Utah, where he spent 12 years. In all, Kotulski spent eight years at Bucknell as the defensive coordinator. While at Bucknell, the Bison won the Patriot League title in 1996 and Kotulski coached five first team All-Americans. Before coaching at Bucknell, Kotulski was the defensive coordinator at Saint Mary’s, and he worked with the linebackers and defensive line during his time at Utah under then-head coach Jim Fassel.

A native of Illinois, Kotulski earned his bachelor’s in physical education at New Mexico State University in 1974, where he played as both a linebacker and a center. He has begun work on his master’s from Cal Poly in Pomona, Calif.