FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kulzer Becomes 13th Head Coach in Program History.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - American International has removed the interim tag from Kristofer Kulzer's title, naming him the 13th head coach in the history of AIC football, as announced by Vice President of Athletics Lou Izzi on Tuesday, November 23.
Izzi said of the decision, "We are excited to be introducing Kris as our head football coach. He has earned this opportunity through his tireless work and his commitment to AIC and our student-athletes as a long-time assistant and interim head coach. Kris has been a great asset to our College and the community, and we are confident he will build upon our successes on and off the field and return AIC Football to the top of the Northeast-10 Conference."
"I am excited to become the next head football coach at AIC and for the future of the program," said Kulzer. "Pressure is a privilege, and we are going to climb the mountain every day until we become the mountain. I am just a kid from Troy, New York, and I am proud to represent my family and where I am come from. I am also proud to represent this college and all of my brothers I played with, who came before me, and those who I now coach," he concluded.
The decision follows Kulzer serving in the role as interim in the 2021 season, where he led the team to a 4-6 record and had six players earn NE10 All-Conference honors, with three First-Team Defense selections. Kulzer had previously served as assistant head coach since 2015, and had been part of the team as a student-athlete, graduate assistant, and assistant coach prior to that.
Kulzer graduated from American International in 2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management and played two seasons for AIC. He returned from 2008-2010 as a graduate assistant coach in charge of linebackers and punt return team. He completed his Master's in Community Source Development in 2010. While working as a graduate assistant, the team had the nation's seventh-best total defense in 2008, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time and winning the Northeast-10 Championship.
Kulzer briefly left AIC for Hudson Valley Community College in the 2010 season, where he became defensive coordinator, Director of Operations and the team's recruiting coordinator before returning to the College in 2011 as an Assistant Coach. In 2013, the team had the nation's top red zone defense and made its second NCAA Tournament appearance as well as taking its second Northeast-10 crown.
Kulzer's abilities as a coach have been evident in team success as well as individual accolades won by players under his tutelage. He coached 2013 NE10 Defensive Player of the Year Jaquawne Simpkins and Defensive Linemen of the Year Danny Omoregie in 2016 and Isiah Tolbert in 2019; Tolbert also earned Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American honors that season.
-Release provided by AIC athletic communications-
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