FRESNO, Calif. - Adam Breske has joined the Fresno State football coaching staff as linebackers coach, head coach Matt Entz announced on Friday. Breske is a 21-year coaching veteran, including 20 years at the collegiate level.
Breske comes to Fresno from Northern Illinois, where he was the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. He follows the Bulldogs' new defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto who also joined the staff from NIU. The Husky defense was ranked fourth in the FBS in 2024 with Breske and Benedetto on staff. Their top two tacklers in 2024 were both linebackers in Christian Fuhrman and Jaden Dolphin.
Benedetto and Breske have had prior stops together at two additional programs, as coaches. In 2017, the two were together at the University of Sioux Falls and from 2010-11 they were together on staff at South Dakota. Fresno State marks their fourth program together on staff.
Breske was the linebackers coach and special teams coach at Sioux Falls from 2005-06 when Benedetto was a student-athlete for the Cougars.
Breske spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at NIU. In his first season at NIU, Breske's starting linebacker group of Jaden Dolphin, Tyler Jackson and DaRon Gilbert were second, third and fourth respectively on the NIU defense in tackles. The NIU defense ranked sixth in the nation in passing defense at 171.2 yards allowed per game and was in the top-25 in total defense (319.5 yards/game), marking NIU's lowest total defense average since 2008. NIU also had three Special Teams Players of the Week that season in kicker Kanon Woodill, punter Tom Foley, and punt returner Dane Pardridge.
He spent the 2022 season as a defensive quality control assistant at Washington State.
From 2018-21, Breske coached at Idaho. He 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.
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 was at South Dakota, and 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 was on staff for his first stint at Sioux Falls for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The 2006 season saw Breske coach the linebackers and special teams during the Cougars' NAIA National Championship run and perfect 14-0 season.
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.
Breske and his wife, Danielle, have a son, Dylan, and a daughter, Layla. He comes from a coaching family as his father Mike Breske is a veteran defensive coach with his most recent stop being at Idaho as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
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