Central Missouri’s quarterback wins big MIAA football award. His dad coaches KU’s QBs

Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowski was named the MIAA’s Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, an award that caps a stellar regular season for the redshirt junior.

In his first year with the Mules after transferring from Southern Illinois-Carbondale, Zebrowski led all of NCAA football (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division II) in passing touchdowns (49), passing yards (4,265) and total offense (424.4 yards per game).

Zebrowski helped lead UCM to a 10-1 regular season, with the Mules’ lone loss a one-point heartbreaker against all-time Div. II wins leader Pitt State. It was a 38-37 contest in Warrensburg that came down to the final drive and a thwarted two-point conversion attempt.

Last month, in a win against a good Emporia State team, Zebrowski threw for eight touchdowns, completing 30 of 53 interception-free pass attempts for 627 yards.

Now the Mules are the No. 4 seed in the Division II playoffs, which begin this weekend.

Given Zebrowski’s familial ties to the quarterback position, perhaps his success shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

Zebrowski’s father, Jim, has been the quarterbacks coach at the University of Kansas since 2021, having come over from Buffalo with KU head coach Lance Leipold. The elder Zebrowski worked alongside Leipold from 2017-20 in Buffalo and 2007-09 at Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Before that, Jim Zebrowski spent time on the coaching staffs at SIU-Carbondale; Milikin University in Decatur, Illinois; Lakeland University in Herman, Wisconsin; Northern Illinois; the University of Minnesota; and Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minn.

Despite his father’s extensive history of coaching QBs, Zach said he never felt like football was forced upon him. Asked when he knew football would be his sport of choice, Zach said: “I think just getting into it at an early age, and just seeing how much fun it was playing with a bunch of people.”

Those coaching Zach found a willing and talented pupil.

“Some people think, ‘Oh, did you coach him? Did you have him do cone drills when he was 4 years old?’” Jim said. “Zach picked a ball up, threw it pretty good, and I’m like, ‘That was easy.’”

Zach does attribute his interest in the game to his dad’s tenure with the Golden Gophers. Jim said his son’s early exposure to coaching, through former Minnesota head coach and Kansas native Jerry Kill, and more recently KU’s Leipold, have helped influence his Zach’s development in a positive way.

“They both do it in a way where they care about their kids; they’re program-builders,” Jim said. “They instill confidence in the program. I think him just hearing that, seeing that, and being around it, I think helped the most ...”

So watching his dad coach at those various programs benefited Zach in a meaningful way.

“Sometimes you don’t even realize it, but being in those kinds of situations your whole life and being able to watch football with him,” Zach said, “I think has really helped me have a good football IQ from such a young age.”

Growing up surrounded by college football, Zach was also no stranger to the pressures that come with being a college quarterback. Jim has seen quarterbacks handle that pressure in different ways.

His advice to his son is simple: Control what you can control.

“The most important thing is to just go out there and don’t worry about any of the outside noise,” Jim said. “You can’t control the media, you can’t control the weather. You can’t control any of the controllers, but you can control your attitude, effort and all of that stuff.”

Asked if there was extra pressure in being a coach’s son, Zach said that’s not the case.

“I feel like he’s just out there supporting,” he said, “so when I’m out there, I don’t even think about being a coach’s son.

“I’m just trying to have fun out there and he’s done a really good job of not putting pressure or yelling or trying to tell me to do certain things on the field. I think he’s just out there watching from a dad perspective.”

Limiting their texts about football has helped. Jim said the duo texts “once or twice a week.” Often, it’s Dad telling Zach “good luck” on game day. Sometimes, Jim said, Zach will call after both Kansas and UCM have played, and the pair will chat about KU’s quarterbacks. If the Jayhawks won that day, Zach will tell his father, “Good job.”

As the Mules prepare to host Henderson State in the first round of the Div. II playoffs, Zach’s competitiveness — a feature that Jim believes he got from his mom, Heather, former a volleyball player at Southern Illinois — continues to impress him.

“He just wants to win, period,” Jim said. “He loves playing sports, and he believes that when he’s on the field, his team’s going to win. He’s not cocky, he’s confident ...”

There’s one more important benefit to being the son of a well-traveled football coach.

“I think the biggest thing is not thinking the college stage is too big,” Zach said. “Just being around it your whole life, you kind of just start to get comfortable in it. “

UCM plays host to Henderson State at 1 p.m. Saturday at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg.