Mike Deschneau is in his first year with the Concordia coaching staff in the 2014 season and will coach the inside linebackers as a defensive assistant.
He brings extensive high school coaching experience to the Concordia staff, serving as offensive coordinator at Mankato West High School and then as defensive coordinator at North Branch Area High School before earning an assistant head coach position at Forest Lake High School.
His first high school football coaching experience was at New Prague High School.
He also brings past college experience, working as an assistant coach at Gustavus Adolphus College from 2005 to 2009, working with the defensive and offensive lines, coordinating the run game and pass protections. Other football duties at Gustavus also included recruiting coordinator, head junior varsity coach and video coordinator. Additional responsibilities at Gustavus included serving as the assistant men's hockey coach, also as the strength and conditioning coordinator for the athletic department.
His versatile coaching background also includes a number of hockey coaching positions at many of his football stops, including the head boys hockey coach at North Branch Area High School.
Deschneau broke into college football coaching with South Dakota State University, where he was a graduate assistant working with the defensive line and outside linebackers from 2001-03.
Outside of coaching, Deschneau is currently the special education coordinator at Eagle Ridge Academy in Eden Prairie.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Gustavus in management in 2001 and a master's degree in teaching from Walden University in 2010, specializing in learning disabilities. He's also completed coursework toward a master's degree in sports pedagogy from South Dakota State University.
Most recently, he's entered pursuit of a doctor of education degree from Bethel University in educational leadership.
