Justin Walterscheid - Offensive Coordinator | Quarterbacks - Football Coaches - University of Northern Colorado Athletics

Justin Walterscheid

Title:
Offensive Coordinator | Quarterbacks
Email:
unc_football@unco.edu
Phone:
970.351.3046

updated July 2025

Justin Walterscheid finished his second season in 2024 after he joined the University of Northern Colorado football staff in December 2022. He will be coaching his 17^th season in 2025.

In December 2023, he was named the Offensive Coordinator/quarterbacks coach after being the Special Teams Coordinator.

In 2023, Walterscheid helped lead the Net Punting to a No. 3 rank in FCS Football. He also helped lead Kicker/Punter Hunter Green to Third Team All-America selection, Jerry Rice Award Finalist, FCS Freshman All-American, and first-team All-Big Sky honors as the Bears top scorer in 2023.

Walterscheid joined the Bears from Southern Utah and served as the assistant head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and quarterback’s coach from 2015-20. In 2017 at Southern Utah, he was part of his second Big Sky Championship team at Southern Utah, leading the offense to the most Division I victories in school history and a trip to the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs.

During their Big Sky Championship run the T-Birds averaged 33.6 points per game and reached 5,249 yards of total offense. SUU outscored their opponents 403-336 in 2017.

As quarterback coach, Walterscheid oversaw the development of Patrick Tyler, who in just two seasons broke into the Top 10 in the SUU Record Book for nearly every passing category. Tyler threw for 2,801 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2017.

Following the regular season nine offensive players under Walterscheid were named to the various Big Sky All-Conference teams. Offensive lineman Zach Larsen was named to various All-American teams and wide receiver Landen Measom was named Freshman All-American.

Walterscheid took over as offensive coordinator for the Thunderbirds in 2015, the same year they went on to win their first-ever Big Sky Conference Championship.

In Walterscheid’s first game as offensive coordinator, the Thunderbirds defeated Sacramento State 44-0. The Thunderbirds had a very explosive offense in 2015, as Ammon Olsen threw for 3,344 yards and 26 touchdowns, Mike Sharp pulled down 54 passes for 889 yards and 13 touchdowns and Malik Brown carried the ball 165 times for 829 yards and eight TDs.

In 2016 under newly appointed head coach Demario Warren. Walterscheid’s leadership helped 1^st year quarterback, Patrick Tyler throw for 2,296 yards and 23 touchdowns.

A 2005 SUU graduate, Coach Walterscheid returned to join the Thunderbird staff in 2010, taking over as the program's running backs and tight end coach. He later added the special team’s coordinator to his resume.

Coach Walterscheid's special team's 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. With Walterscheid also coaching the running backs 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 Menifee 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 291 yards 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.

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 the 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 QBs, receivers, and return specialists, while handling in-game responsibilities scouting opponent looks.

Before working at Utah, Coach Walterschied spent a season at Weber State as a defensive assistant, collaborating with the team's stud linebackers and helping the Wildcats to a Big Sky Conference championship and a final FCS ranking of No. 7.

Walterscheid participated in the Denver Broncos' preseason camp following his collegiate career, in addition to being a member of the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football league. He has also had coaching experience in the high school ranks as an assistant at Grand Junction HS, as well as an NFL Combine personal trainer.

Walterscheid served as an offensive intern during the St. Louis Ram’s 2014 & 2015 summer camps.

Year	School	Position
2008	Weber State	Defensive Assistant
2009	Utah	Offense Graduate Assistant
2010	Southern Utah	Running Backs / Tight Ends Coach
2011	Southern Utah	Running Backs / Tight Ends Coach / Special Teams Coordinator
2012	Southern Utah	Running Backs / Tight Ends Coach / Special Teams Coordinator
2013	Southern Utah	Co-Offensive Coordinator / Running Backs / Tight Ends
2014	Southern Utah	Assistant Offensive Coordinator / Wide Receivers
2015	Southern Utah	Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach
2016	Southern Utah	Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach
2017	Southern Utah	Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach
2018	Southern Utah	Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach
2019	Southern Utah	Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach
2020	Southern Utah	Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach
2021	BYU	Defense Analyst
2023	Northern Colorado	Special Teams Coordinator / Recruiting Coordinator/Camp Direct
2024	Northern Colorado	Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach / Camp Director
2025	Northern Colorado	Offensive Coordinator / QBs Coach / Camp Director