DJ Warkenthien '19/M '22 joined the North Central College football coaching staff in fall 2020 as a defensive graduate assistant. After spending the 2022 season as a graduate assistant at the University of Nevada, Warkenthien returns to the Cardinals' staff as defensive line coach and assistant strength coordinator in 2023.
A four-year letter winner for the Cardinals from 2015-2018, Warkenthien was a part of three College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) championship teams. He earned Second Team All-CCIW honors at linebacker as a junior before receiving First Team All-CCIW and Second Team All-North Region accolades as a senior. Warkenthien is the Cardinals' all-time leader in tackles for loss (59) while ranking fourth in total tackles (264).
Warkenthien assisted with the coaching of Nevada's linebackers in 2022, assisting with game planning, video operations and recruiting while also directing the Wolfpack's offensive scout team. Warkenhien was instrumental in the development of Nevada linebacker Drue Watts, who was named to the College Football News (CFN) Freshman All-America Third Team.
A native of Naperville, Warkenthien graduated from North Central with a bachelor's degree in marketing and an MBA degree. He is completing requirements for a master's in justice management from Nevada.
