Air Force Academy

Capt. Mike Thiessen

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Position: Wide Receivers Experience: 2nd Year College: USAFA '01

Mike Thiessen is in his second season as the wide receivers coach at Air Force. Thiessen was key in the development of All-American Chad Hall, the conference offensive player of the year in 2007. Hall caught 50 passes, the sixth most in school history, for 524 yards while rushing for 1,478 yards which ranks second all-time in school history. In addition, receiver Mark Root caught 28 passes for 385 yards.

A two-sport star during his collegiate career, Thiessen was an All-American baseball player as a centerfielder in the spring of 2000 and was the Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year in the fall of 2000. A two-year starter at quarterback, Thiessen led the team in rushing and was among the conference leaders in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2000.

He capped off his career by earning offensive most valuable player honors while leading Air Force to a 37-34 win over Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Classic. Thiessen finished the game with 99 yards rushing and 204 yards passing.

Thiessen was a team captain as a senior while rushing for 713 yards and 10 touchdowns and passing for 1,687 yards and 13 scores in 2000. On the diamond, he holds 10 Academy records (six career and four single season), including a school-record 33-game hitting streak.

After graduation in 2001, Thiessen was a 42nd round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. He played in 27 games with the Yakima Bears "A" team and led the squad with a .308 batting average. His first military assignment was at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., working in the fighter squadron.

He entered the World Class Athlete Program and played with the Lancaster Jethawks, an advanced A affiliate of the Diamondbacks in 2003. He hit .278 with five homers and 42 runs scored in 85 games. Following that season, he returned to Luke and worked in personnel.

After three years at Luke AFB, Thiessen returned to the Academy to teach and coach at the Prep School. He served as an instructor in algebra, calculus and chemistry and was the offensive coordinator for the football team for three seasons before joining the Academy varsity staff last season.