MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State football continues to build its new coaching staff as head coach Jason Woodman has tabbed Joe Montag to be defensive coordinator and Austin Schmidt to lead the running backs.
Montag comes to MSU after serving as a quality control linebackers coach at Louisiana in 2022 and 2023. He helped the Rajun Cajuns to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in 2023 and the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in 2022.
Montag was influential in guiding Louisiana's defense to rank 16th nationally in forced fumbles in 2023, as well as 26th in interceptions and 31st in sacks per game. In 2022, the Cajuns ranked 36th nationally in scoring defense, as well as 20th in limiting plays of more than 20 yards and ninth in the nation in allowing runs of 10 yards or more.
He specifically coached the SAM linebackers and assisted with inside linebackers.
Prior to his stint in Lafayette, La., Montag served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Alderson Broaddus (W.Va.) during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. In his time, the Battlers improved significantly in defensive stats, including 75 less yards allowed per outing, 100 less rushing yards given up per game and double the program's takeaways from previous seasons. He coached a pair of all-conference linebackers.
During the 2019 season, Montag was a graduate assistant defensive line coach at New Mexico. That followed a stint as a graduate assistant for defensive line at Houston in 2018. He first served in the graduate assistants' role at Purdue during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Mointag opened his post-graduate coaching tenure as a defensive assistant with the linebackers at Miami (Fla.) in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He helped the coaching staff at his alma mater, Bridgewater (Va.), in the 2013 season.
Montag earned his bachelor's degree in health and exercise science from Bridgewater in 2014 and earned a Master's Degree in sports administration from Miami in 2015.
Schmidt comes to the Eagle program following a highly successful five-year stint in various roles at his alma mater, Minnesota State-Mankato.
He served as video coordinator from 2019 through 2021 seasons, then transitioned to director of football operations for the 2022 season. In 2023, he was elevated to running backs coach.
During Schmidt's time in Mankato, the Mavericks combined for a 39-12 record and made three Division II playoff appearances, including reaching the championship game during a 14-1 campaign in 2019.
During the 2023 season, he coached Shen Butler-Lawson, who rushed for 1,446 yards to rank sixth in the nation - along with 15 rushing touchdowns. Butler-Lawson earned All-American honors and was a nominee for DII's top player and the Harlon Hill Trophy.
Schmidt earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from MSU-MÂ in 2021 and earned a Master's Degree there in business administration in 2023.
