Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns have added Justin Lustig to the football coaching staff.  Lustig will coach the running backs and special teams.  His hiring is pending approval by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.

Lustig replaces Brian Jenkins, who resigned to accept a job with Rutgers. 

Lustig comes to the Cajuns from Eastern Illinois, where he also coached the running backs and special teams.

Under Lustig, the Panthers produced a different 1,000-yard rusher in each of his three seasons.  He tutored Vincent Webb in 2006 to a 1,439-yard rushing season and coached Ademola Adeniji, who ran for 1,287 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2007.  Last season, EIU saw Travorus Bess rush for 1,086 yards.

In 2008, the Panthers were 11^th in the FCS in punt returns and led their conference in punting, punt returns and kickoff coverage. 

Lustig’s special teams unit ranked among the nation’s best in 2007 with freshman punter Kevin Cook ranking 4th in the nation in punting while setting the EIU school record. Cook earned honorable mention All-America honors. During that season, the Panthers special teams unit returned one kickoff for a touchdown, blocked one punt for a touchdown and blocked one field goal. EIU ranked 4th nationally in net punting and 18th in kickoff returns. 

During the 2006 season, EIU ranked 18th nationally kick return defense. 

Prior to joining the EIU staff, Lustig coached defensive backs and special teams for two years (2004-05) at Christopher Newport University, a NCAA Division III program in Newport News, Va. His 2005 team blocked 11 kicks and scored six touchdowns as the Captains ranked either first or second in every special teams category in the USA South Atlantic Conference. 

His 2004 team posted a 9-3 record to win a co-league championship and advance to the NCAA playoffs. In total, he coached eight All-Conference players including the 2005 USA South Conference Defensive Player of the Year. 

In 2003 he coached cornerbacks at Villanova University which was ranked as high as No. 4 in that year’s NCAA I-AA football poll.

Lustig began his coaching career at Christopher Newport in 2001, serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator and secondary coach for two seasons.  CNU qualified for the NCAA playoffs both of those years.

A four year starter at Bucknell University (1997-2000), Lustig was a team captain at cornerback and safety.

Lustig and his wife Beth have two sons, Sam and Henry. He also holds a masters degree in education and human development from George Washington University.