Air Force Academy

Feb. 20, 2008

Former Kansas State assistant coach Matt Wallerstedt has been named assistant head coach/inside linebackers coach at the Air Force Academy, according to an announcement today from head coach Troy Calhoun.

A former Kansas State All-American linebacker, Wallerstedt just completed his second season as the Wildcats' linebackers coach. He served as the Wildcats' recruiting coordinator during the 2006 season and coordinated K-State's special teams units in 2007.

Prior to his stint at Kansas State, Wallerstedt completed a successful two-year run at Akron, where he served as the Zips' associate head coach, linebackers coach and special team's coordinator.

In his first season back at K-State, Wallerstedt mentored a linebacker corps that was one of the Wildcats' most effective units during 2006, as both Brandon Archer and Zach Diles turned in career seasons. Archer led Kansas State in tackles with 106 and earned first team All-Big 12 recognition from The Associated Press and second team all-league honors from the coaches. Diles wasn't far behind with 99 stops and picked up honorable mention all-league accolades from both the coaches and the AP before being selected in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.

Wallerstedt's successful 2006 season at K-State was just one of many during his career. During his stay at Akron, Wallerstedt helped usher forth a stunning turnaround that saw the Zips win their first Mid-American Conference championship and earn their first bowl berth (the 2005 Motor City Bowl) in just his second season with the program.

During 2005, Wallerstedt coached two players to All-MAC honors as linebackers Brion Stokes and Jay Rohr were named to the league's second team and honorable mention squads, respectively. Wallerstedt also helped completely transform the Zips' defense. The unit finished the 2005 regular season ranked first in the MAC in total defense. Akron also made a 75-spot improvement on the NCAA's total defense chart, improving from No. 98 in 2004 to No. 23 in 2005.

Wallerstedt received his coaching start in 1988 as a student assistant with the Wildcats. He went on to serve the 1989 and 1990 seasons as a graduate assistant at Arizona State.

After three years in private business, Wallerstedt received his first full-time coaching opportunity as the defensive line coach at Fort Hays (Kan.) State in 1994. He helped guide Fort Hays State to a share of the 1995 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship with an 8-2-2 record and a No. 18 national ranking before moving on to coach defensive backs at Emporia State in 1996.

In 1997, Wallerstedt began a six-year stint at Wyoming, where he was hired to coach the defensive line by his former K-State teammate, and then-Cowboy head coach, Dana Dimel. In just his first year in Laramie, Wyo., the Cowboys ranked second in the nation in sacks (54), sixth in pass defense, 17th in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense. The 1998 defensive squad was 28th nationally in scoring defense, as Wyoming became a fixture in both national polls during the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

Wallerstedt also produced four All-Western Athletic Conference defensive linemen before taking over as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 2000. From 2000 to 2002, Wallerstedt mentored three All-Mountain West selections, including Kwabena Peprah (2000), Leo Caires (2001) and Tyler Gottschalk (2002).

A very successful one-year stay as the defensive coordinator at North Alabama followed in 2003. While at UNA, Wallerstedt's defense allowed just 14.1 points per game (sixth nationally) and a conference-best 295.6 yards per game. UNA finished the season with a 13-1 record, won the Gulf South Conference and ranked No. 5 in the final national poll.

Wallerstedt earned his bachelor's degree in business management from K-State in 1988 and added a master's in athletic administration from Fort Hays State in 1995. He and his wife Josie have an eight-year-old son, Cal.