Justin Lustig Named Special Teams Coordinator and Running Backs Coach

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse head football coach Dino Babers announced Monday that he has hired Division II national coach of the year Justin Lustig as the Orange's special teams coordinator and running backs coach. The head coach at Edinboro University (Pa.) in 2016, Lustig earned D2Football.com Coach of the Year honors after inheriting an 0-11 team and leading the Fighting Scots to a 9-2 record in his one season at the helm.

The turnaround was the largest in Division II football history and the nine wins matched the program record. The Fighting Scots scored 40 points or more in a school-record seven games and averaged 41.5 point per contest, good for 12th nationally. Along with his national coach of the year award, Lustig was voted the Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One co-Coach of the Year and the Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference (PSAC) West Coach of the Year.

"The job Justin did as a first-time head coach was fantastic," Babers said. "He's also been a highly-successful assistant coach. The running backs he has coached have performed extremely well, and his special teams units have consistently ranked among the nation's best. We're very excited to welcome Justin and his family to Syracuse."

"My family and I are excited, honored and grateful for the opportunity to come to Syracuse and join Coach Babers' staff," Lustig said. "He is building a championship program there. The future of Syracuse football is very bright and I'm thrilled to be a part of it."

During his career, Lustig has developed 41 all-conference players. He has worked on the staffs of five teams that reached the NCAA playoffs and coached in two bowl games.

Prior to becoming the head coach at Edinboro, Lustig made assistant coaching stops at five schools, including four Division I institutions. His most notable achievements came at Ball State where he was the special teams coordinator and running backs coach from 2011-15. He added the title of assistant head coach prior to the 2015 campaign.

The Cardinals played in two bowl games during Lustig's time in Muncie. They faced UCF in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in 2012 and earned a spot in the 2013 GoDaddy Bowl against Arkansas State the following season. Ball State went 19-7 those two years with four wins over BCS teams (Indiana - 2, USF, Virginia).

Lustig's special teams and return specialists were among the finest in Division I each year. In 2015, the Cardinals ranked among the top four in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in every special teams category. His kickoff return unit ranked 12th in the FBS at 25.5 yards per return and his kickoff coverage team was 13th (18.03 ypr). Lustig also mentored running back Darian Green, who led the MAC in all-purpose yardage.

The previous season, Scott Secor was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the 2014 Lou Groza Award as the nation's top placekicker. Lustig also coached All-MAC First Team kick returner Eric Patterson and mentored third-team All-MAC running back Jahwan Edwards. Edwards, a three-time all-conference choice, became the third ball carrier in Ball State history with three 1,000-yard seasons. Edwards also finished his career as the program's all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Other prominent Lustig Ball State pupils include three-time All-MAC kick return specialist Jamill Smith, punter Scott Kovanda and kicker Steve Schott. In 2012, Kovanda was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation's best punter, and Schott was a Groza Award semifinalist.

A 1996 graduate of Pennsylvania's Cathedral Prep, Lustig played collegiately at Bucknell. He was a four-year starter at defensive back for the Bison and captained the team as a senior. In 1997, Lustig and his teammates enjoyed the most successful season in school history, finishing with a 10-1 overall record.

Lustig earned his bachelor's degree in English and history from Bucknell in 2000. He also received a master's degree in human resource management from George Washington University in 2005.

Lustig and his wife, Beth Ann, have two sons, Samuel and Henry.

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Syracuse University Athletics

Justin Lustig Named Special Teams Coordinator and Running Backs Coach

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