Following a great career as a football player for The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), Gunnar Abseck will be making the transition from player to coach. Abseck began his coaching career as the Falcons' Director of Football Operations (DOFO) / Tight Ends Coach announced on Monday, February 17, 2025. Now, Abseck is returning for his second season on the UTPB football coaching staff in 2026. This upcoming season, Abseck will make the transition to Running Backs coach.
In Abseck's first season as a coach at UTPB (2025), the Falcon's made the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the second time in program history and advanced to the Super Region Final (NCAA Quarterfinals) for the first time in program history. UTPB finished the season 11-3 overall, setting a program record for wins in a single season while also earning the first two playoff wins in program history, and was in a three-team tie for second in the Lone Star Conference with a 7-2 record. Abseck was the tight ends coach for UTPB this season and coached honorable mention all-conference players Caleb Sedegan (TE) and Diego Juarez (FB).
Abseck knew he wanted to step into this type of role once he finished his playing career this past semester, but he had no idea a job opportunity would open up with the staff he was familiar working with. Some of Abseck's key functions as a DOFO will be: Coordinating team travel; assisting in all facets of roster management and with recruiting of student-athletes, including on campus visits; game day logistics during home game recruiting; and coordinating with Athletics Administration on road game tickets, donor travel and communication with opponent operations. Those functions will be something that is Abseck is not used to doing. But he is excited to take on the challenge of learning something new.
Prior to getting into coaching, Abseck played football at UTPB for four seasons (2021-24) and had a record-breaking career as a punt returner (returns in a career, yards in a career) as a Falcon. Abseck finished his career in 2024 being named Honorable Mention All-Lone Star Conference as a wide receiver. He averaged 10.0 yards per catch and was also 5-for-6 on two-point conversions (3-3 Rush; 2-3 Pass). During his senior day he caught four passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark in his career (1,053 career yards). His 14 punt returns and 103 punt return yards this season both rank second in program history and his 32-career punt returns and 236 career punt return yards are both a program record. Additionally, he was named to the 2024 Academic All-District® Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, and named to the Fall 2024 Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA for the semester in graduate school.
Abseck is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Kinesiology with a focus on teaching, coaching, administration.
