Finn Passing Academy
2011 Guest Speakers
Mark A. Hoffman
Head Football Coach
Valparaiso High School
Coach Mark Hoffman is the Head Coach and now Athletic Director at Valparaiso High School. Coach Hoffman has been the Head Coach at Valparaiso the last 34 years and has a record of 232-147. 9 times he has been named 5A Coach of the Year in Region One, and he has led two teams to State Runner-up. Coach Hoffman is well respected throughout the Region and throughout the state as a strong leader amongst players and his peer coaches. Coach Hoffman is coming off another extremely successful year at Valpo where his Vikings finished 13-1 winning the DAC, with their only loss coming to eventual State Champion, Fishers, in the Semi-State. He was named “Indiana Coach of the Year” and is the Head Coach for the North in the North/South All Star game this upcoming July. Mark Hoffman was also a fantastic player himself as he was a 2-year starter at Andrean High School. He was named 1st Team All-Area and All-State in 1967 as he went on to play in the North/South Football game. His success didn’t stop there as he went on to become a 3 year starter at Butler University as an Offensive Guard and Tackle. More of Coach’s honors and accolades can be found below. He has also been married to his wife, Susan, now for 40 years. They have 1 daughter and 4 grandchildren.. We are excited and humbled to have Coach Mark Hoffman share some time with all of our campers this year!
Coach Mark Hoffman
Playing Honors: 3 Year Starter at Butler University, offensive guard
and tackle for Tony Hinkle/Bill Sylvester ’69-71
Indiana North-South Shrine All-Star Player 1968
Indiana All-State Team / Offensive Tackle 1967
All-Area First Team 1967
2 year starter at Andrean High School, 1966 & 1967
Inducted into Andrean Hall of Fame 2000
Coaching Honors: President’s Award 1996 IFCA
Head North All-Star Coach -1999
Assistant North All-Star Coach - 1980 / 1988
President of the Indiana Football Coaches Association -1985
First Vice President of IFCA –1984
Second Vice President of IFCA - 1983
5A Coach of the Year Region One: 1985, 1986, 1989,
1991, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010
NFL Indianapolis Colts Coach of the Week – 2000, 2005, 2008, 2010
Indiana Coach of the Year 2010
Indiana National Coach of the Year Nominee 2010
Indiana Football Hall of Fame 2006
Coaching Records:
2 State Runner-Up Head Coach
2 Semi-State Championships Head Coach
6 Final Four Appearances Head Coach
6 Regional Championships Head Coach
9 Sectional Championships Head Coach
6 Conference Championships Head Coach
14 Sweet Sixteen Appearances Head Coach
20 Years Ranked Top Ten State Head Coach
1 Semi-State Championship Assistant Coach
1 State Championship Assistant Coach
2 Conference Championships Assistant Coach
1 Sweet Sixteen Appearance Assistant Coach
1 Final Four Appearance Assistant Coach
1 Year Ranked Top Ten Assistant Coach
Coaching Record / Football: Valparaiso High School 232-147
Connersville High School 2 - 8
Coach Jeff Gutowski
Coach Jeff Gutowski has recently been named Defensive Coordinator for Mercyhurst College, a Division 2 football program located in Erie, PA. Gutowski is entering his 7th year on the coaching staff at Mercyhurst, and we are excited to have him speak with our campers. Jeff comes from a strong football background as his father, Dennis, played football at Notre Dame under Ara Parseghian, and his brother, Tim, was an All-State Receiver at Andrean High School in 1993.
Jeff Gutowski begins his sixth year on the staff at Mercyhurst College in the 2010-11 academic year.
Since March 2008, Gutowski has been primarily responsible for the linebackers in the Lakers’ 3-3-5 defense in addition to his duties as the kick-off return coordinator, a position he has counseled since his arrival at Mercyhurst in 2005.
During his tenure as the linebackers’ leader, Gutowski has guided four different Lakers to five all-conference certificates, including three first-team honorees. In the classroom, one his first-team pupils earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America recognition on two occasions.
Since joining the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in 2008, the Lakers’ defense has flourished with Gutowski’s assistance. The unit finished third in total defense in 2008, allowing just 282.3 yard per contest, including a league-best pass defense that gave up just 153.6 yards per game. That squad also held opponents to the fourth-lowest points per game average (18.0). In 2009, the Lakers still maintained a presence as one of the top 10 defensives in the league, ranking ninth in total defense (323.1 ypg), including the third-best rushing defense (118.5 ypg).
During the 2007-08 academic year, Gutowski was the team’s director of football operations and outside linebackers coach as well as kick-off return coordinator after serving his first two years on the Lakers’ staff as a graduate assistant coach responsible for outside linebackers and defensive backs in the 4-3 and 3-4 defense.
The Crown Point, Indiana native got his start in collegiate coaching in 2002 as the quality control with Indiana University. From there, he was promoted to assistant recruiting coordinator for the Hoosiers in 2003. In that title, Gutowski was responsible for all operations of the recruiting office and assisted in acquiring the Hoosiers best recruiting class in over a decade according to several recruiting sources such as Tom Lemming.
Two of Gutowski’s charges from that class were eventually drafted in the National Football League.
Gutowski has also had success at the scholastic level, helping to coach Andrean High School (Merrillville, Ind.) to a state runner-up finish in 2001.
Gutowski played collegiate football for one year at Northern Illinois, lettering as a freshman walk-on after playing wide receiver and special teams in nine games for the Huskies. He then went on to Indiana where he would earn a bachelor of science in exercise science in 2003. Additionally, he received a post-graduate business certificate from Mercyhurst College.
Gutowski is the son of Laurie and Dennis and has two siblings named Tim and Jamie.
