MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho football Head Coach Jason Eck announced the hire of Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach Luke Schleusner (pronounced Shlice-ner).
 
"My family and I are extremely excited for the opportunity to join the Idaho Football family," Schleusner said. "We can't wait to get acclimated to the Moscow Community. I am excited to continue to work with Jason and I am sold on his plan to build a consistent winner and bring a Big Sky Championship to the Kibbie Dome."
 
Schleusner comes to Idaho from South Dakota State where he worked under Eck as the Wide Receivers Coach and Passing Game Coordinator. He was at SDSU for eight seasons serving as the Tight Ends Coach for the first six and before moving to the receivers ahead of the spring 2021 season.
 
He also had coaching stops at his Alma Mater North Dakota, Minnesota State-Mankato and Western Illinois.
 
"Luke is really smart. I am trying to surround myself with people that are smarter than me," Eck said. "He is a great evaluator and developer of talent. When he was at North Dakota, he coached and recruited Kenny Golladay who has gone on to be a very good pro, when he was at Minnesota State, Mankato, he recruited and coached Adam Thielen who has turned out to be a very good pro and when he was at South Dakota State, he took Dallas Goedert from a walk-on to a second-round pick. Not many coaches at the FCS level have a track record like that of developing talent."
 
Schleusner coached the rise of the Janke twins over the last two seasons. In the fall of 2021, Jaxon Janke tallied 72 receptions for 1,165 yards and five touchdowns. Jadon Janke tallied 41 receptions for 641 yards and nine TDs.
 
Before moving to receivers, he coached multiple All-Americans at the tight end position and including Goedert and Cam Jones.
 
During his first season at SDSU, in 2014, Schleusner directed a group that complemented the passing game and provided strong run blocking for a Jackrabbit offense that averaged 31.8 points and 435.1 yards of total offense per game.
 
In 2015, the Jackrabbits featured the top tight end tandem in the Missouri Valley Football Conference as both Goedert and Jones earned postseason accolades. A first-team all-MVFC selection, Goedert finished second on the team with 26 receptions for 484 yards and three touchdowns. Jones, an honorable mention all-league honoree, added 24 catches for 298 yards.
 
Goedert emerged as the top tight end in the FCS during the 2016 campaign, recording a school-record 92 receptions for 1,293 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to becoming a unanimous All-America selection. He repeated as a unanimous All-American in 2017 after posting his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, recording team-highs of 72 receptions and 1,111 receiving yards. Goedert went on to be selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
 
Schleusner continued to develop quality tight ends during the 2018 season as true freshman Blake Kunz (20 receptions for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns) and Kallan Hart (11 receptions for 147 yards) ranked third and fourth on the team in catches, respectively, while also aiding in blocking for a potent Jackrabbit rushing attack. Hart would go on to be an honorable mention all-MVFC selection as a senior in 2019 after catching a pair of touchdown passes and providing solid blocking for a rushing attack that ranked third in the league with an average of 198.2 yards per game.
 
Schleusner previously served as Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach at the University of North Dakota during the 2013 season. A UND alumnus, Schleusner returned to Grand Forks in 2011, serving as Tight Ends and Fullbacks Coach for a squad that claimed a share of the Great West Football Conference title. He was elevated to Passing Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers coach in 2012, directing a unit that set school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns.
 
Before UND, Schleusner coached six seasons at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He filled the roles of Special Teams Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator from 2005-08, serving a key role in the Mavericks' turnaround. He added wide receivers coach and passing game duties his final two seasons at MSU, helping guide the Mavericks to the 2009 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division title and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
 
Schleusner began his collegiate coaching career in the fall of 2002 at Western Illinois, where he earned a master's degree in sport management. He coached the Fighting Leathernecks' tight ends for two seasons, before adding the title of special teams coordinator in 2004. Western claimed the Gateway Conference (now Missouri Valley Football Conference) title in 2002 and made playoff appearances in both 2002 and 2003.
 
"I think he is going to be a great teacher on the technical side whether it is installing the schemes, having eye discipline, understanding situational football and what to expect on the different down and distances," Eck said. "He is going to put our quarterbacks in a position to succeed in our offense and as leaders on our team."
 
He joins Eck in the move from Brookings to Moscow. That familiarity allows Eck to focus on the growth of the overall program while Schleusner focuses on the offense.  
 
"He knows what I believe in offensively, and I have complete trust in him," Eck said. "Knowing we have him here really frees me up to oversee the whole program and not get bogged down in the offense."
 
Schleusner is married to the former Jenilee Schwantes. They have one son, Dylan.
 
Vandal assistant coaches will be announced as their hire becomes official.