Bryan Whitehead starts his third season as UWL's defensive coordinator in 2022. The Eagles finished second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in scoring defense (22.6) in 2021 while ranking third in total defense (369.0), rushing defense (115.8) and quarterback sacks (27). The Eagles led the league in opponents' fourth-down conversions (41.4%) while finishing second in interceptions (15) and third in opponents' first downs per game (18.8), opponents' third-down conversions (39.0%) and red-zone defense (73.7%).
UWL tied for 26th in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in turnover gained (24).
Seven players were named to the All-WIAC Defensive Team in 2021, including three first team selections in lineman Ryan Gengler, linebacker Rusty Murphy and defensive back Elijah Alt. Linebacker AJ Spychala and defensive back Max Brower earned All-WIAC Second Team accolades while lineman Jack Kelly and defensive back Trevor Helland were voted to the honorable mention squad.
Linebacker Ryan Daines was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America Second Team while Alt earned Associated Press Second Team All-America honors and D3football.com Third Team All-America accolades.
Whitehead spent two years as an assistant coach at Wofford College, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, from 2018-19. He served as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2019, working primarily with the safeties. Whitehead was the defensive quality control coach and video coordinator for the Terriers in 2018. He recruited Alabama and Kentucky while at Wofford (S.C.).
During the 2019 season, the team secured the Southern Conference (SoCon) Championship and played in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The Terriers were ranked 20th in the nation in total defense (335.3 yards per game), along with being second in the SoCon in total defense and scoring defense (22.1). The secondary had four of the team's seven interceptions.
Wofford (S.C.) won the 2018 conference title and made an appearance in the national playoffs, finishing first in the league in defense in scoring (19.0), total (304.4), rushing (103.8) and passing (200.5). Whitehead assisted the staff coaching in scouting upcoming opponents, along with video and statistical analysis.
Prior to arriving at Wofford (S.C.), Whitehead served as an assistant coach at UW-Platteville in 2016-17. He was the defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2017 after serving as the safeties coach in 2016. The Pioneers finished 15-3 overall in Whitehead's two years as an assistant, qualifying for the NCAA Division III Playoffs in 2016.
Whitehead was a three-year letter winner at UW-Platteville as a wide receiver and defensive back from 2012-14, helping the team to the first ever playoff appearance in 2013. He played professionally for one season for the Fursty Razorbacks in Germany before beginning his coaching career at Glenbard South (Ill.) High School in the fall of 2015. Whitehead was an assistant coach at Larkin (Ill.) High School in 2010 and 2011.
A native of Elgin, Illinois, he earned his bachelor's degree in health and human performance from UW-Platteville in 2015 and master's degree in education from the University of Missouri in 2019.
He and his wife, Ilse, were married in July 2019.
