Justin Walterscheid
Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
SUU ‘05
Fifth Season At SUU
Justin Walterscheid is in his fifth season on the SUU staff.
A 2005 SUU graduate, Coach Walterscheid returned to join the Thunderbird staff in 2010, taking over as the program's running backs and receivers coach. He later added co-special teams coordinator to his resume, as he took on kickoff and punt return teams duties but this season he takes on the role of offensive coordinator while he will continue to mentor the running backs.
Last year Coach Walterscheid's special teams units were among the nation's elite, as return specialist Josh Smith spent much of the season near the top of the FCS ranks, while kicker Colton Cook earned second-team all-Big Sky and all-America honors and punter Brock Miller finished the season 11th in the nation in punting and the team ranked seventh in the FCS in net punting. SUU also was highly ranked in punt return average in 2012.
In 2011, under Walterscheid, SUU led the nation with a kickoff return average of 26.33 yards per attempt and was 18th in punt return average at 12 yards per return.
Austin Minefee earned all-America honors and was named the Great West Conference's special teams player of the year in 2011 after averaging 29.24 yards per return. Minefee returned two kickoffs for scores and had a third called back because of a penalty last season. Minefee also rushed for 625 yards and nine touchdowns as the Thunderbirds pounded out 1,030 yards on the ground, the team's second-most during the Ed Lamb era.
In addition to Minefee's success in 2011, Brady Measom was named the GWC Newcomer of the Year after averaging 12.33 yards per punt return (seventh-best in the nation) and catching a team-high 48 passes for 547 yards and two touchdowns. Both Measom and Minefee were also first-team all-GWC selections.
In 2010, Coach Walterscheid's running backs rushed for 1,485 yards, the team's most in four seasons and Minefee earned first-team all-GWC honors after leading the team with 764 rushing yards as well as picking up 257 receiving yards. His return specialists also fared well, with Fesi Sitake averaging 10.8 yards on punt returns and 22.6 on kickoff returns to earn all-GWC recognition while Henna Brown averaged 24.6 yards per kickoff return.
A former receiver and return specialist for the Thunderbirds, Walterscheid led the Thunderbirds in all-purpose yards in 2003 and was second on the squad in 2004 when he was sidelined for three games by injury. He led the squad in punt and kickoff return yards in both '03 and '04 and his '03 effort of 291yards ranks fourth on the SUU single-season list, just behind his dad Leonard's 319 yards in 1975. He is also sixth on SUU's career punt return yardage list with 450 yards and eighth on its kickoff return yardage list with 836, while his career kickoff return average, 23.9 yards per return, ranks fifth.
Coach Walterscheid earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from SUU in the spring of 2005. He then went on to earn an additional BA in kinesiology from Mesa State College in 2008. Upon graduation from MSC, Walterscheid embarked on pursuit of his master's degree in sports management at the University of Utah, where he served as a graduate assistant on the No. 18 Utes' 2009 Poinsettia Bowl championship squad.
While at Utah, Walterscheid worked with the receivers and return specialists as well as holding in-game responsibilities for defensive reads. Prior to working at Utah, Coach Walterschied spent a season at Weber State as a defensive assistant, working with the team's stud linebackers and helping the Wildcats to a Big Sky Conference chmapionship and a final FCS ranking of No. 7. Coach Walterscheid participated in the Denver Broncos' preseason camp following his collegiate career and he also was a member of the Arizona Rattlers of the indoor league. He has also worked in the high school ranks as an assistant at Grand Junction HS, as well as as a personal trainer.
Walterscheid recently served as an offensive intern during the St. Louis Rams' 2013 summer camps.
Coach Walterscheid and his wife Shawna are the parents of one son, Kingzton.
