Joe Montag joined Northwestern’s staff as a defensive assistant in July 2025.
Prior to arriving at Northwestern, Montag served as a Senior Defensive Analyst at Stanford during the 2024 season. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Morehead State. He also spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Louisiana as a quality control coach for linebackers, where he specifically worked with the SAM linebackers and assisted with the inside linebackers.
While at Louisiana, Montag helped the Ragin’ Cajuns reach the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in 2023 and the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in 2022. During the 2023 season, Louisiana’s defense ranked 16th nationally in forced fumbles, 26th in interceptions, and 31st in sacks per game. In 2022, the Cajuns ranked 36th nationally in scoring defense, 20th in limiting plays of more than 20 yards, and ninth in the nation in allowing runs of 10 yards or more.
Montag previously served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Alderson Broaddus (W.Va.) during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, where the Battlers improved significantly in several defensive categories and produced two all-conference linebackers.
Earlier in his career, Montag held graduate assistant roles at New Mexico (2019), Houston (2018), and Purdue (2016–17). He began his coaching career as a defensive assistant with the linebackers at Miami (Fla.) in 2014 and 2015 after working with the coaching staff at his alma mater, Bridgewater (Va.), during the 2013 season.
Montag earned his bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science from Bridgewater in 2014 and a master’s degree in sports administration from Miami in 2015.
Prior to arriving at Northwestern, Montag served as a Senior Defensive Analyst at Stanford during the 2024 season. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Morehead State. He also spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Louisiana as a quality control coach for linebackers, where he specifically worked with the SAM linebackers and assisted with the inside linebackers.
While at Louisiana, Montag helped the Ragin’ Cajuns reach the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in 2023 and the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in 2022. During the 2023 season, Louisiana’s defense ranked 16th nationally in forced fumbles, 26th in interceptions, and 31st in sacks per game. In 2022, the Cajuns ranked 36th nationally in scoring defense, 20th in limiting plays of more than 20 yards, and ninth in the nation in allowing runs of 10 yards or more.
Montag previously served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Alderson Broaddus (W.Va.) during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, where the Battlers improved significantly in several defensive categories and produced two all-conference linebackers.
Earlier in his career, Montag held graduate assistant roles at New Mexico (2019), Houston (2018), and Purdue (2016–17). He began his coaching career as a defensive assistant with the linebackers at Miami (Fla.) in 2014 and 2015 after working with the coaching staff at his alma mater, Bridgewater (Va.), during the 2013 season.
Montag earned his bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science from Bridgewater in 2014 and a master’s degree in sports administration from Miami in 2015.