In his first year as head coach, Schmidt was also running the defense
Things just got a little easier for University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football coach Mike Schmidt.
Last season, his first as a head coach, Schmidt was both the head coach and defensive coordinator for the Eagles.
This week, however, the school announced that Matt Janus will take over the defense.
“He’s the best defensive line coach I’ve ever been around,” said Schmidt, who worked with Janus at UW-Platteville. “To get me out of that role, as our head coach, I needed somebody that I trust and somebody that I know I’m going to be on the same wavelength with.”
When Schmidt, a 2008 UW-L graduate, left as defensive coordinator of Platteville, it was Janus who took over as a co-coach at the position. So, Schmidt has some familiarity with Janus’ mindset defensively, but also knows he’ll be a top recruiter.
“Having worked with Matt previously, I know the kind of relationships he develops with his players,” Schmidt said. “He’s a special coach and recruiter. He’s the right guy for this job.”
In Schmidt’s first year as UW-L, the Eagles started 5-0, before falling to Division III powerhouse and second-ranked UW-Whitewater, 32-22.
UW-L lost every game thereafter, finishing 5-5.
Three of those losses were to ranked opponents, including UW-Oshkosh, which lost in the national championship 10-7.