Mike Breske
	Position: Asst Head Coach/Def Coord/Secondary Experience: 6th year at UW College Degree: South Dakota State `81

Email: breske@uwyo.edu

Mike Breske is in his sixth season at the University of Wyoming, and his 28th as a college coach. He is entering his 22nd season as a member of Joe Glenn's coaching staff. He and Glenn coached together 13 seasons at Northern Colorado and three seasons at Montana. Breske serves as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and coaches the Cowboy secondary.

Last season in 2007, Breske's Wyoming defense ranked No. 22 in the nation in total defense and quarterback sacks, No. 27 in rushing defense and No. 30 in pass defense out of 119 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The Cowboys allowed opponents only 332.1 yards of total offense per game in `07 -- 122.8 yards rushing per game and 209.3 yards passing per game. The Cowboy defense recorded 33 total sacks, for an average of 2.75 per game. For the second consecutive season, one of Breske's defensive backs earned First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors. Senior cornerback Julius Stinson was selected First Team All-MWC in 2007. Stinson was also one of only 12 semifinalists for the 2007 Jim Thorpe Award, honoring the nation's top defensive back.

The 2006 season saw the Cowboy defense move to a 3-4 alignment, and it was a very successful move as the Pokes were one of the best in the nation in `06. In total defense, the Cowboys ranked ninth out of 119 NCAA Division I-A teams, allowing opponents only 262.9 yards per game. UW ranked even higher in pass defense, giving up only 156.3 yards passing per game to rank No. 8 in the country. Wyoming also ranked in the Top 25 in rushing defense at No. 23 (106.6 yards per game), and ranked 36th in the NCAA and No. 2 in the MWC in sacks (2.42 per game). The Poke defenders recorded a 24-0 shutout of archrival Colorado State in `06, marking the first shutout by a Wyoming defense against CSU since 1959. Senior strong safety John Wendling earned Second Team All-America honors from CollegeFootballNews.com, and was a First Team All-Mountain West Conference selection. Wendling ended his college career ranked 10th in career tackles at UW, with 259. The senior safety also was one of only 17 finalists for the 2006 National Football Foundation Draddy Trophy, symbolic of the nation's top scholar athlete. Wendling played in the East-West Shrine Game at the conclusion of his senior season. In the spring of 2007, Wendling was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, becoming the second Cowboy defensive back to be taken in the NFL Draft in the past three years. He joined former teammate Derrick Martin, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2006 Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

Breske's defense ranked among the Top 40 teams in the nation in two defensive categories in 2005. UW was No. 40 in the nation in pass defense, allowing only 207.4 yards per game through the air, and the Cowboy defense also intercepted 14 passes to rank No. 34 in the NCAA in that category. Among Mountain West Conference teams, UW's defense ranked No. 2 in pass defense and No. 3 in both total defense (377.2 yards per game) and scoring defense (27.0 points per game).

In 2004, the Pokes were once again effective at defending the pass and in forcing turnovers, ranking No. 47 in the NCAA in pass defense efficiency, with a rating of 118.5, and No. 13 in the country in most turnovers gained (28). Wyoming's defense recovered 14 fumbles to rank No. 10 in the NCAA, and intercepted 14 passes to rank No. 34. His 2004 secondary featured Second Team All-Mountain West Conference cornerback Derrick Martin, a sophomore, who was also named National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance versus Ole Miss.

His first season at Wyoming, in 2003, Breske's defense made great strides in defending the pass. UW ranked No. 46 in the nation in pass defense, allowing opponents only 212.2 yards per game through the air. His first Cowboy defense also was extremely effective at forcing turnovers. The Pokes ranked No. 42 in the country in fumbles recovered (12), and added 12 interceptions for a total of 24 turnovers gained in 2003.

As the defensive coordinator for three seasons at Montana, Breske helped lead the Grizzlies to the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs each of those seasons. Montana advanced to the Division I-AA national championship games in both the 2000 and 2001 seasons, and captured the 2001 National Championship. His Montana defensive units were among the best in the nation and the Big Sky Conference. His 2002 Grizzly defense ranked 13th in the nation and first in the Big Sky in rushing defense, allowing only 100.7 yards per game. UM ranked No. 28 in the country and second in the Big Sky in scoring defense, giving up only 18.6 points per game. Montana was also second in the Big Sky in total defense, giving up only 329.9 yards per game. Breske coached 2002 First Team All-American and Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, free safety Trey Young, and Honorable Mention All-American Vernon Smith at cornerback.

His 2001 Griz defense ranked 26th in the country in scoring defense (20.3 points allowed per game) and 30th in rushing defense (125.5 yards allowed per game). In the Big Sky Conference, Montana ranked in the top two in the conference in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense (385.8 yards allowed per game). Breske's 2001 secondary was led by another First Team All-American, strong safety Vince Huntsberger, and Honorable Mention All-American Calvin Coleman at cornerback. Huntsberger was runner-up for the 2001 Buck Buchanan Award, symbolic of the I-AA Defensive Player of the Year.

His first year in Missoula, Breske's defenders dominated conference play as the Griz led the Big Sky in six defensive categories: total defense (allowing only 265.0 ypg), scoring defense (19.3 ppg), rushing defense (76.6 ypg), passing defense (188.4 ypg), quarterback sacks (46) and lowest third-down conversion percentage by opponents (30.0 percent). Among the leading defenders on that squad were All-Americans Coleman and Huntsberger.

Throughout 13 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Northern Colorado from 1987-99, Breske was part of two NCAA Division II National Championship teams in 1996 and `97. The Bears appeared in the Division II Playoffs seven times during Breske's time in Greeley.

As a player at South Dakota State, Breske was a three-year letterman at cornerback and earned Second Team All-Conference honors in 1979 and `80. He also was elected a team captain his senior season. Following completion of his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation in May of 1981, Breske began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Northern Iowa in 1981. While at Northern Iowa, he completed a master's degree in physical education in 1982. He moved on to Yankton College in Yankton, S.D., from 1982-83, coaching the secondary. His first defensive coordinator position came at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., where he coached from 1984-86, before moving on to Northern Colorado.

He and his wife, Tami, have three children, Cari, Adam and Taylor. They also have one granddaughter, Mikayla, and one grandson, Bryson.

"Mike and I have now been together over 20 years," said Glenn. "We know how each other thinks. He is always a step ahead of me. Mike is a great sounding board for me, not just on X's and O's, but on personnel and really every issue to do with our football program. To have a guy with his experience and background on our staff is a tremendous asset. I respect him more than I can say. In regard to X's and O's, I think Mike is as good as they come. He's proved it at every level, and we've won three national championships along the way. He has a great feel for the game, and he knows what it takes to win. He is my right-hand man. We share a lot of great memories together, and I think we share a great future together, as well."

Breske will recruit the states of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.