Wesley Beschorner, who has helped lead offenses at Pittsburgh, Rice, Maryland and South Dakota, and Adam Breske, whose coaching résumé includes serving in coordinator roles on both defense and special teams, have joined the Northern Illinois University football staff as assistant coaches, NIU head coach Thomas Hammock announced Tuesday.
Beschorner, an All-American quarterback during his playing days at South Dakota who spent the last three seasons as head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, will coach the NIU running backs and serve as passing game coordinator.
“I am excited to bring Wesley on board,” Hammock said. “Not only does he bring coordinator experience, but he had an opportunity to be a head coach, so he understands the big picture, he understands how to build relationships with players. He brings a depth of knowledge to our offensive staff that can help us in all facets of the game with familiarity with multiple offenses. Along with that, he brings expertise to develop the running back position. I think he’ll be a great asset to our staff.”
An 18-year coaching veteran, Beschorner coached a pair of All-Americans at UW-Eau Claire and led the Blugolds to a 2019 upset win over sixth-ranked St. Thomas. Prior to that, he spent the 2018 season as quarterbacks coach at the University of Maryland, working with an offense that ranked third in the Big Ten in rushing. In 2017, he was the quarterbacks coach at Rice University in Houston as the Owls ranked second in Conference USA in rushing offense. In 2016, Beschorner worked alongside former Huskie assistant coach Matt Canada on the offensive staff at the University of Pittsburgh, where he assisted in the recruitment of Pitt All-American and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett.
A native of Lohrville, Iowa, Beschorner began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of South Dakota, in 2006. He coached the quarterbacks and served as passing game coordinator from 2007-11 before taking over as offensive coordinator in 2009 and adding associate head coach duties in 2011.
USD recorded several big wins with Beschorner leading the offense, notably knocking off a pair of No. 1 (Football Championship Subdivision) teams in North Dakota State and defending national champion Eastern Washington. The Coyotes were nationally ranked for 10 consecutive weeks in 2011 and the program also recorded a 41-38 signature win over the University of Minnesota in 2010.
During his time as offensive coordinator, Beschorner coached 25 players who earned first team all-conference accolades and six CoSIDA (now CSC) Academic All-Americans. Thirteen of Beschorner’s players have gone on to play professional football, including four NFL draft selections.
“I’m super thrilled to work with Coach Hammock and this storied program,” Beschorner said. “I will do whatever I can on a daily basis to enhance the lives of our student-athletes. The success NIU has had on and off the field has made them one of the top programs in the MAC for a long time and seeing the types of kids they’ve recruited and the types of young men they have graduated makes me super excited to be a part of it.”
Recognized as one of the best players in South Dakota history, Beschorner was a first-team All-American at quarterback and finished as runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II MVP) as a senior in 2005 when he threw for 3,000 yards and combined for 47 touchdowns (39 pass, 8 rush) against four interceptions. The Coyotes were North Central Conference champions and finished with a 9-2 record.
Breske is an 18-year collegiate coaching veteran who spent the 2022 season at Washington State in a defensive quality control role. He will coach the Huskie linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator at NIU.
“Adam has a great track record of developing players at the linebacker position throughout his career,” Hammock said. “He brings experience as a defensive coordinator and a special teams coordinator. You always want someone who is going to enhance and improve your staff and throughout the interview process, he rose to the forefront. His plan of attack of how to improve the linebacker position and how to enhance our special teams surpassed my expectations. I’m excited about him and his plan to help both of those groups excel in 2023.”
At Idaho from 2018-21, Breske worked with the inside linebackers all four seasons and took over as special teams coordinator in 2019. Vandal defenders earned 11 All Big Sky Conference honors during his four seasons, while Idaho special teamers were named all-conference six times, with punter Cade Coffey picking up second team All-America honors in 2021.
“I’m very excited to join a program that has a great reputation in this region,” Breske said. “I’m looking forward to working for Coach Hammock and with this staff. I’ve followed NIU for a long time through a lot of coaching colleagues and friends that have been here, and I know how good of a program it is. I’m excited to be able to come here and contribute to that tradition of success.”
Prior to his time at Idaho, Breske spent one season as linebackers and special teams coach at Sioux Falls (2017) and was the defensive line coach at Missouri Valley College in 2016. From 2007-15, Breske coached linebackers and added defensive coordinator duties in 2011. In his first game as defensive coordinator, the Coyotes upset defending national champion and No. 1 ranked Eastern Washington; that win was one year after USD’s Big Ten victory at Minnesota.
Breske’s linebackers earned 13 all-conference honors during his time at South Dakota, including Adam Broders, Shea Williams and Ryan Routh who were each honored in multiple seasons.
He began his coaching career at Central High School in his hometown of Greeley, Colo., where he earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Northern Colorado (2004). He earned his master’s degree in 2009 from South Dakota.
Beschorner and Breske’s first official day at NIU is February 1.