Kearstin Schweitzer joined the Valpo football staff prior to the 2024 season as the team’s running backs coach.
Schweitzer, who came to Valpo after a stint working with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, became the first female position coach in Valpo and Pioneer Football League history. She joined St. Thomas’ Anna Caruso (Quality Control: In-Game Strategy and Data Research) as females with on-field coaching responsibilities in the PFL.
Schweitzer spent this summer as part of the National Coaching Academy Fellowship with the Buccaneers, serving as an offensive fellow. She previously spent time with the Bucs as an NFL National Coaching Academy Finalist in May, working as part of the offensive staff during minicamp. She was chosen as one of the five individuals from the coaching academy who were invited to return to the Bucs for training camp.
Schweitzer served as the Director of Football Operations, Chief of Staff and Assistant Wide Receivers Coach during her time at the University of Wisconsin Platteville, which spanned from 2021 to May 2024. She was part of the NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the summer of 2023 after getting her start as the wide receivers coach at Lakeland University in 2020-2021.
Schweitzer was the first female coach in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference while at Lakeland and was one of three in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while at UW-Platteville. She began as a student manager at Lakeland before she realized that she was picking up on football strategy and tactics throughout the season and asked the coaches if she could start attending film meetings to learn more about the game.
During her time with the Bucs, Schweitzer worked closely with wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon and the widely-respected Skip Peete, who has been an NFL running backs coach for over 25 years. Peete’s 17-year-old daughter Gisele is one of the many young women who look up to Schweitzer, and the two had the opportunity to sit down and talk about what Schweitzer’s process was in terms of getting into football.
Schweitzer earned her undergraduate degree in sports management and leadership from Lakeland University in December 2021 before going on to receive her master’s in sports administration from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in May 2024. Her twin sister Madison is the head women’s volleyball coach at Kenyon College in Ohio.
What They’re Saying About Coach Schweitzer
Skip Peete, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Running Backs Coach: “First and foremost, Kearstin is a very motivated and determined young lady who wants to be the best possible coach that she can be. During the time she was here, she was always in the office and was diligent about looking as much into our offense as she could in a short period of time. I was very impressed with her preparation each and every day. When members of the fellowship come here, they are part of our staff, we treat them no differently than full-time staff members. Every day, we would talk about the scripts and different drills that we were running. Her knowledge, ability to communicate and the juice that she brings to the room was very special. That’s something everyone wants, especially in young coaches.”
Dan Colbert, Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Scouting: “Kearstin is the type of person who will never back down from a challenge. She brings a willingness to do the hard work required to achieve a desired outcome. She brings a team-first mentality, attacks every day with enthusiasm and is willing to learn to get better. She comes with unique experience and knowledge of the game. She’s a skilled communicator who can build and cultivate relationships with players and staff. Her future is bright and she is an asset to any program.”
Ryan Munz, UW-Platteville Head Coach: “We are excited to see Coach Kea in this position at a Division-1 program. Her experience and development the last two years has allowed her to be ready to take on this new role. Everyone in Platteville will be cheering for her. She is going to crush it!”
Michael Martin, UW-Platteville Strength & Conditioning Coach: “Coach Schweitzer is a rising star in the profession. Her experiences in multiple roles at various levels of football including the highest levels is a tremendous asset. Her passion for the game, combined with her ability to connect with players, and her unyielding determination is what sets her apart. I am excited to see the positive impact that she will undoubtedly have.”
Brett Allen, UW-Platteville Offensive Coordinator: “Kearstin doesn’t sugar-coat anything. She holds her players to the highest of standards and won’t accept anything but her players’ highest of efforts.”
