Austin Bortle will be entering his third season (2018-19) as a member of the Southwest Baptist University Football Coaching Staff. He will serve as the Special Teams Coordinator, Recruiting Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach for the Football Team.
Â
Under Coach Bortle, the defensive line has been one of the most productive units in the GLVC conference over the past two seasons. Under his tutelage, the defensive line has had five All-GLVC selections including two unanimous first team selections and two all-region selections in two seasons. During the 2017 season, he helped lead a defensive unit that was ranked first in the conference and ninth in the country in tackles for loss, which included Defensive End De’shawn Tone who was ranked 11th nationally in tackles for loss. In 2016, he mentored Defensive End Via Manuma who finished the season ranked fifth nationally in sacks and seventh nationally in tackles for loss despite only playing in eight games due to injury.
Prior to joining Southwest Baptist, Coach Bortle served as the assistant head coach, director of recruiting and defensive line coach at Lindenwood University. While coaching defensive line at Lindenwood, Bortle helped coach five players to All-MIAA honors. He coached units that accounted for season high totals of 29 sacks and 85 tackles for loss. In his first three seasons as a coach at Lindenwood, Bortle coached the wide receivers during a three-year period in which they put up huge numbers. In 2011, he coached Andrew Helmick who set school single-season records for receiving yards per game and touchdown catches. In all, Lindenwood caught 193 passes for 23 touchdowns and an average of 235.7 receiving yards a game. In 2010, the Lions had three receivers catch over 500 total yards. Two of the receivers had over 800 yards. The receivers also caught 42 touchdown passes. In 2009, Lindenwood was even more balanced with five receivers having over 400 yards on the season. Those five players caught 223 passes for 3,343 yards and 34 touchdowns. The receivers played a big role in Lindenwood advancing to the NAIA National Championship game.
Bortle earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Lindenwood University (Mo.) in 2009 and his Master of Arts in Sports Management from Lindenwood University in 2011. He played his college football at Lindenwood and was name an All-HAAC Wide Receiver as a Senior. Coach Bortle played his high school football at St. Charles High School and was an all-conference performer.
Bortle resides in Bolivar, Missouri with his wife, Amy.
