Austen Bujnoch is in his sixth season on the Youngstown State coaching staff under Head Coach Doug Phillips. Bujnoch serves as the Penguins' offensive line coach.
A veteran group in 2024, the offensive line helped protect first-year starting quarterback Beau Brungard. Brungard came up just two yards rushing shy of the first 2,000-yard passing, 1,000-yard rushing season in school history. He did set a school record for most rushing touchdowns by a QB in a campaign with 16. YSU also had a pair of running backs rushed for more than 575 yards as the offense averaged 201.8 rushing yards per game.
Senior Jaison Williams was a second-team All-MVFC selection after starting all 12 games. Williams finished his career with 52 career starts. Williams earned third-team All-America laurels by SI.com's FCS Central. Additionally, Aidan Parker finished his career with 50 career starts between guard and center. Sophomore Desmeal Leigh had another outstanding campaign and was recognized as honorable-mention all-conference after starting all 12 games at left tackle.
In 2023, an impressive season by the offensive line helped pave the way for one of the best offensive seasons in school history. YSU averaged a school-record 243.1 yards passing per game eclipsing the old mark was 235.8 which was set back in 1972. YSU set school records for completions (270) and attempts (388) as well as percentage (69.6).
YSU's offense set a school record for 40-plus point games with six. YSU also set a new school record by scoring 30-or-more points in six straight games. The Penguins scored 28-plus points in all but two games. In 13 contests, the offensive line allowed just 18 sacks. The Guins led all of FCS by averaging 35:06 in time of possession per contest.
Williams was named second-team All-MVFC to headline the unit's individual honors. Williams and Ryan Johnson started every game on the right side of the offensive line. David Metzler, who started for two straight years at left tackle, moved to guard while talented redshirt freshman, Leigh, started all 13 games at left tackle. Parker moved from guard to center and made 11 starts while Van Keen filled in at center for two contests.
Leigh earned freshman second-team All-America honors from Stats Perform for his efforts during the year. Metzler and Parker earned Academic All-District honors as well.
The unit helped newcomer Tyshon King earn second-team All-MVFC accolades while rushing for more than 1,000 yards and nine scores. Senior Dra Rushton had a the best year of his career with 664 yards and nine touchdowns. QB Mitch Davidson had five rushing scores as well.
In 2022, an experienced line helped boost the fortunes of the YSU offense. Running back Jaleel McLaughlin was named the MVFC's Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which honors the FCS's top offensive player. McLaughlin rushed for 1,588 yards on the season and late in the year set the NCAA All-Division career rushing record. As a team, YSU averaged 202.6 yards per game marking the second consecutive year it averaged more than 200 per contest.
Senior center Mike McAllister was named second-team All-MVFC while Williams was an honorable-mention All-MFVC selection. The veteran group featured strong play by starters Parker, Metzler and Johnson as well as one-year Guins Errol Walker and Joey Groeber.
YSU's offensive line helped pave the way for McLaughlin who was named first-team All-MVFC in 2021. McLaughlin rushed for 1,139 yards in 10 games and scored 12 touchdowns. First-year starting quarterback Demeatric Crenshaw rushed for 599 yards and seven touchdowns while being named the MVFC's Freshman of the Year. Williams was named Honorable Mention All-MVFC for his efforts during the season.
The Penguins' line showed tremendous progress during the 2021 spring campaign. A very inexperienced group came together and was able to help pave the way for McLaughlin who earned second-team All-MVFC accolades. McAllister started all seven games at center while Parker and Derek Hite settled in to starting roles at both guard positions. Entering the spring, only McAllister had played a snap on the offensive unit for the Guins.
He spent the 2019 season as the offensive line coach at Ohio Dominican. The Panthers posted a 7-3 record and played in the America’s Crossroads Bowl against Truman. ODU had a pair of offensive linemen named second-team All-G-MAC for their efforts. The Panthers averaged 30.3 points and 347.3 yards per contest during the campaign.
A standout offensive lineman at Cincinnati, Bujnoch was an offensive graduate assistant for the Bearcats from 2015-18. He was a member of Luke Fickell's staff that helped UC finish with 11 wins in 2018. The Bearcats ranked 15th in the country in rushing offense, 27th in scoring offense and 11th in third-down conversions in 2018.
At UC, he assisted the offensive staff in all facets of the program’s day-to-day operation, including practice planning and management, working with the defensive scout team, and assisting with the offensive line.
He coached four current NFL offensive linemen and coached under Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, amongst others, during his time at UC.
Bujnoch made 35 career starts at right guard for the Bearcats, including a streak of 32-consecutive starts from 2011-13.
As a senior, he was a 2012 First-Team All-BIG EAST Conference honoree and was an American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honoree in 2013 and an Academic All-BIG EAST selection in 2011 and 2012.
Following his senior campaign, he was recognized as the John Pease Best Lineman at UC. Additionally, he grew his hair out and donated it to Locks of Love, a charity organization that makes wigs for patients with cancer and other hair disorders.
Following his graduation, he spent time in NFL camps with the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams.
Bujnoch, who starred at Elder High School in Cincinnati, has a bachelor’s degree in history from UC and earned his master’s degree in health education.
His father Glenn played in the NFL from 1976-84 with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bujnoch and his wife, Erin, have two children -- their son Augustine and, daughter Bennett.
