Warrior Football
Offensive Coaching Staff
A.J. Blazek
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line/Tightends
A.J. Blazek is entering his 3rd season as an assistant coach with the Winona State football team. Blazek spent the 2009 season as WSU’s offensive line coach and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator to go along with coaching the offensive line and tight ends before the 2010 season.
Blazek’s linemen paved the way for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference’s leading rusher, Rayon Simmons, who gained 1,252 yards in the 2010 season. The Warriors were 19th nationally in rushing offense with 203.8 yards per game.
In two seasons, six linemen under Blazek have earned all-NISC honors, including 2010 first-team all-conference honoree Jason Enos. Casey Clark and freshman Richard Lilla were also named to the all-NSIC team.
Blazek tutored pre-season All-American Seth Haun and a third-team All-American in Enos during his first season in Winona. He also worked with first-team Academic All-American Marcus Greatens. Greatens was invited to play in the Cactus Bowl following the 2009 season.
Before joining the Warriors, Blazek was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Fort Hays State from 2005-08. Five linemen were all-conference selections for Blazek at Fort Hays State. Jordan Stricker earned ESPN Acdemic All-American recognition in 2008.
Blazek coached at the University of Iowa from 2001-2004, spending the first season as a student assistant before working as a graduate assistant from 2002-04. He coached the Hawkeye offensive line in 2003-04 where he helped the team to bowl victories over Florida and LSU. In 2004 Iowa went 10-2 and were co-Big Ten Champions. Blazek’s offensive linemen helped the Hawkeyes ring up the second ranked pass offense in the Big Ten. In 2003 Blazek helped tutor future No. 1 NFL Draft pick Robert Gallery as well as pros Eric Steinbach, David Porter and Brian Ferentz. Iowa finished both seasons ranked eighth in the final AP Poll.
In 2002 Blazek worked with Iowa’s defensive secondary where he coached future NFL Pro Bowler and AFC Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders. Iowa set a school record with 11 wins and were co-Big Ten Champions. The team earned a berth in the Orange Bowl and ranked fifth nationally in rush defense.
In 2001 Blazek was a student assistant coach at Iowa under former Hawkeye offensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. He helped the Hawkeyes to an appearance in the 2001 Alamo Bowl which the Hawkeyes won 19-16 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Blazek was a two-time letter winner at center in with the Hawkeyes. He was an All-Big Ten selection in 2000 and served as co-captain for that team as well. He was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree as well.
He was an All-American and Academic All-American at Butler County Community College (KS), leading the team to the 1998 NJCAA National Championship.
Blazek played two seasons for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. He was the recipient of the 2001 Walter Payton Award for community service.
Blazek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2001 with a Bachelor of Art degree in Health Promotions. In 2004 he earned a Master of Art in Sports Administration from the University of Iowa.
Blazek and his wife Kyla have two children, Cooper and Macey.
Along with his coaching responsibilities within the football program, Blazek is working with Winona State Athletic Director Larry Holstad as the athletic department Community Service Coordinator. Blazek is the advisor of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Warrior student-athletes completed over 1,500 hours of community service during the 2009-10 school year.
Cameron Keller
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
The architect of an impressive turnaround as a head coach at Culver-Stockton, Cameron Keller has joined the Winona State football coaching staff as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“We are very excited and very fortunate to have Cameron join our coaching staff,” WSU head coach Tom Sawyer said. “He is an experienced quarterbacks coach who is truly going to enhance the WSU offense. The Warrior family is excited to welcome Cameron and his family to Winona.”
Keller spent the 2010 season as head coach at Culver-Stockton, helping the Wildcats break a 32 game losing streak that dated back to the 2007 season. Culver-Stockton beat Graceland, 38-33, to snap the streak.
Keller tutored two all-conference selections in his season with the Wildcats. Five Culver-Stockton players were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes for their efforts in the classroom.
Prior to his stint at Culver-Stockton, Keller spent ten years as the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Hastings College. He worked as an administrator during his final two years at Hastings, also serving as an assistant coach at Falcon High School in Peyton, Colo. during that time.
Keller played quarterback at Hastings College, earning Academic All-American status as a senior. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Hastings College in 1999 and a M.S. in Sports Management from American University in 2010.
Keller and his wife Michelle have two children, a daughter Marin and son Kyle.
Steve Opgenorth
Special Teams/Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers
One of the best specialists in Winona State history, Steve Opgenorth is in his second season as a coach at his alma mater. Opgenorth is in charge of coaching wide receivers while also coordinating both the Warrior special teams and recruiting efforts.
Opgenorth’s impact at Winona State was immediate. Curtis Dewberry led NCAA Division II by averaging 20.4 yards per punt return on his way to All-Region honors. As a team the Warriors averaged 18.9 yards per punt return, with Dewberry taking two returns to the house for touchdowns.
Warrior receiver Derrick Engel also garnered All-NSIC honors under Opgenorth, catching 39 passes for 584 yards and four touchdowns.
Before returning to Winona State, Opgenorth was the defensive backs coach, as well as the special teams and recruiting coordinator, at Albright College from 2007-09. He also served as the team’s Academic Coordinator, helping 32 players earn All-Conference academic selections in his three seasons.
In Opgenorth’s time at Albright, the team made a turnaround from a 2-8 record the season before he arrived to an 11-2 mark in 2009. Albright reached the NCAA Division III National Quarterfinals in 2009 and finished the season ranked ninth nationally.
He was instrumental in developing one of the top defensive backfields in the Middle Atlantic Conference, tutoring two First Team All-Conference selections. He helped tutor Matt Christ to All-American honors in 2008.
The Albright special teams also excelled under Opgenorth, with a placekicker, punter and return specialist all earning All-MAC honors in his three seasons. In 2008, Albright scored five touchdowns on special teams while blocking nine kicks on the year.
Prior to joining the Albright staff, Opgenorth was the wide receivers and special teams coach at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. During his time at Carroll, Opgenorth developed All-Conference performers at receiver, tight end and kicker. Opgenorth was also the team’s recruiting coordinator.
As a student-athlete at Winona State, Opgenorth’s name is littered throughout the Warrior record book. He holds eight all-time school records, including field goals made, extra points made and kicking points. He is second in school history in total points scored. He was named to the Winona State All-Century Team in 2005 and was an All-NSIC performer three times. Opgenorth was an All-Region selection as a junior and senior as well.
He was a member of three NSIC Championships and helped the Warriors advance to four consecutive postseason appearances. The Warriors played in the Mineral Water Bowl in Opgenorth’s freshman season and reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs in each of his final three seasons.
Opgenorth graduated from cum laude from Winona State in 2004 with a degree in Business Education. He holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Educational Leadership from Carroll University.
Opgenorth is also an active member within the American Football Coaches Association.
Mike Budziszewski
Assistant Coach/Running Backs
Mike Budziszewski is in his first season as a full time coach with the Warriors and his third season in the program. Budziszewski will work with the WSU running backs after spending the past two seasons as a Graduate Assistant.
In his two seasons with the Warriors, Budziszewski has tutored one of the best running back tandems in the nation. Curtis Dewberry and Rayon Simmons have both accumulated over 1,000 all-purpose yards in each of the last two seasons.
Simmons led the NSIC in rushing in 2010, gaining 1,252 yards on the season, and became the seventh player in Winona State history to reach 2,000 yards rushing. As a team, WSU averaged 203.8 yards on the ground per game, good for second in the league. Simmons was a First Team All-NSIC selection and Deweberry earned All-Region honors.
Prior to arriving in Winona, Budziszewski was a teacher and coach at New Berlin Eisenhower High School. Budziszewski was the football program’s offensive coordinator as well as the school’s head track and field coach. IKE averaged better than 40 points per game in his time with the program and produced multiple All-Conference athletes. New Berlin Eisenhower won the Woodland Conference title and advanced to the state playoffs in 2007.
Budziszewski also coached at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, tutoring wide receivers while coordinating all on-campus recruiting. Budziszewski played quarterback for the Titans, leading the team to a 7-3 mark as a senior. It was the program’s best overall record in 30 years.
Budziszewski graduated from Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a degree in Secondary Education in 2006. He also holds a Masters of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Winona State University.
