Steve Russ will return to the Air Force Academy in 2026 as the defensive coordinator, according to an announcement from Head Coach Troy Calhoun.
Russ comes back to Air Force after serving as the defensive coordinator at Alabama-Birmingham last season. In 2024, he was a special assistant to the head coach at Air Force. Before that, Russ spent six years coaching in the National Football League, working with the Washington Commanders as linebackers coach from 2020-23 and with the Carolina Panthers from 2018-19.
Previously, Russ had a significant tenure at Air Force, serving six years as assistant head coach and four years as defensive coordinator and defensive backfield coach from 2012-17. He also held roles as co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach earlier in his career.
His first season leading Air Force’s defense saw notable improvements across several categories. The team allowed 15.8 fewer points per game than before, finishing with an average of 24.2 points allowed—a figure that led their conference and marked a jump of 72 spots nationally (to rank 33rd). The Falcons’ rushing defense improved by over 100 yards per game, allowing just 135.6 yards on average and moving up from 119th to 28th nationally. Other areas of progress included third down defense (from 125th to 36th), quarterback sacks (from 114th to 24th), and tackles for loss (from 129th to 42nd). These performance levels were maintained over the next two seasons, with Air Force ranking first or second in seven conference categories; in 2016, they ranked No.10 nationally in rushing defense and No.33 in total defense.
Russ also coached Weston Steelhammer, who became the first player in Academy history to earn three first-team all-conference selections and received All-America honors twice in 2016. Steelhammer was also awarded the East-West Shrine Bowl Pat Tillman Award for leadership and citizenship.
A graduate of the Air Force Academy in 1995, Russ was a four-year football letterman who returned after coaching at Wake Forest starting in 2008—most recently as secondary coach.
Before coaching secondary players at Wake Forest in 2011, Russ worked with tight ends and fullbacks during his first two seasons there and coached linebackers in 2010. He spent three years at Syracuse (2005-07) and four years at Ohio University (2001-04). His coaching career began at Air Force as a graduate assistant strength coach following his graduation.
As a player at Air Force, Russ earned second-team All-WAC honors in 1994 and participated in both the Blue-Gray All-Star game and East-West Shrine game after his senior year. He received Air Force’s Brian Bullard Award—the program’s highest honor—in that same year and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. He is among only ten players from Air Force drafted into the NFL.
After two years of active military service, Russ joined the Broncos for four seasons, including being part of Denver’s Super Bowl championship teams under head coach Mike Shanahan.
Russ began full-time coaching at Ohio University as outside linebackers coach before becoming inside linebackers coach; he later added special teams coordination duties. At Syracuse, he became defensive coordinator prior to leaving for Wake Forest.
While coordinating punt coverage for Wake Forest in 2008, his unit led college football by allowing just nine yards all season on punt returns. As secondary coach there beginning in 2011, Wake Forest’s pass efficiency defense improved significantly alongside other key metrics such as third-down stops and scoring defense. That year he coached Josh Bush to first-team All-ACC honors; Bush was later drafted by the New York Jets.
Russ is originally from Stetsonville, Wisconsin. He is married to Betsy—a fellow Academy graduate who played volleyball before becoming an Air Force pilot—and they have two children: Mackenzie (a recent Academy graduate now serving as a second lieutenant) and Tyler (currently a sophomore at the Academy).
