Courtesy of Northern Michigan Athletic Communications
MARQUETTE, Mich. — Matt Janus has been named the 24th head football coach in Northern Michigan University history, announced by NMU Director of Athletics Rick Comley.
Janus comes to Marquette after six seasons as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he led the Eagles to one of the most successful stretches in NCAA Division III football.
“My family and I are beyond thrilled to be joining the Wildcat family and the Marquette community,” Janus said. “It’s amazing in life the paths you go on, and those paths — after some twists and turns — eventually led me here to Northern Michigan.”
He officially takes over the Wildcat program following a national search.
“I want to thank Clay Dawes and Collegiate Consulting for their assistance throughout the search,” Comley said. “I am thrilled to welcome Matt Janus as the leader of our football pro-gram. Matt brings excellent leadership and a proven record of success at UW–La Crosse. He will build an outstanding staff and enhance our returning players as we continue working to re-establish the proud tradition of Wildcat football.”
During his tenure at UW–La Crosse, Janus compiled a 45-14 overall record, including a 29-6 mark in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), and guided the Eagles to five straight NCAA Division III playoff appearances. His teams were ranked in the national top 25 every week of the 2024 and 2025 seasons and finished inside the top 25 in both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D3football.com polls each year from 2021 to 2025.
Janus led UW–La Crosse to consecutive WIAC championships in 2022 and 2023, including an unbeaten 7-0 conference season in 2023 — the program’s first outright league title since 2004. That season, the Eagles went 11-2 overall, finished ranked fourth nationally, and ad-vanced to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for the first time since 1996. The 11 victories marked the program’s most wins in a season since 1996.
A two-time WIAC Coach of the Year (2022, 2023), Janus was also named the 2023 D3football.com Region 6 Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, UW–La Crosse produced more than 70 All-WIAC selections, including multiple conference Players of the Year, 12 All-Americans, and several Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists. Eight players also earned CSC Academic All-District honors, highlighting the program’s success both on the field and in the classroom.
Before being named head coach in February 2020, Janus spent three seasons as UW–La Crosse’s defensive coordinator. His defenses consistently ranked among the WIAC’s best, setting a school record with 40 sacks in 2019 while leading the conference in third-down defense, sacks, red-zone defense, and turnovers. In 2017, the Eagles posted their first win-ning season in a decade and finished ranked 24th nationally.
Janus also held coaching roles at UW–Platteville, including co-defensive coordinator, de-fensive l ine coach, and recruiting coordinator, helping the Pioneers earn an NCAA Division III playoff berth and a top-15 national ranking in 2016. He began his coaching career at She-boygan Falls High School in Wisconsin and previously served as a graduate assistant at UW–Platteville.
“We will UP the experience of our student-athletes, because the experience is what sets us apart,” Janus said. “Northern Michigan, this athletic department, and the city of Marquette create the trifecta of what the college experience should be. Our program — just like the UP — is for the energetic, the tough, the bold, the loyal, and the adventurist. We will search far and wide for student-athletes who want THE EXPERIENCE and, more importantly, know in their hearts that Northern is THE EXPERIENCE. Stay Yooper. Go Cats!”
Janus expressed gratitude to NMU leadership and the search committee throughout the process.
“Thank you so much to Coach Comley for his belief in me,” Janus said. “Thank you to Inter-im President Leach, incoming President Olsen, Senior Associate Athletic Director Robin Burke, and everyone who had a hand in this search. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and excited to get to work.”
