John Wristen, a former all-conference quarterback at Colorado State University-Pueblo, enters his first season as the ThunderWolves head football coach. He is responsible for creating a football program that has been dormant for 24 years after the team was cut following the 1984 season.

CSU-Pueblo will begin play in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in the fall of 2008 with a full 11-game schedule.

Wristen returns to Pueblo after coaching the past 17 years in the NCAA Division I ranks at the University of Colorado, Northwestern University, and, most recently, UCLA. He was chosen from an application pool of more than 100 football coaches.

Wristen becomes just the fourth head coach for the University since becoming a four-year institution in 1963. Joe Prater served as coach from 1963 to 1973 and had a 52-53-2 career record. Mike Friedman led the team from 1974 to 1983 and had a 60-38-2 overall record. Gary Richardson coached the final year of football in 1984 with a 2-8 record, before the program was dropped.

During the 2006 season, Wristen served as the special teams and tight ends coach at UCLA. He coached all-American tight end Justin Medlock and worked closely with the offensive coordinator in play calling.

Prior to UCLA, he served his second of two stints at CU from 1999-2006. He helped guide the Buffaloes to four Big 12 North Division Championships and the 2001 Big 12 Title. He coached the tight ends, kickoff and punt teams, and was given the additional responsibility of recruiting coordinator in 2003. He coached three all-Americans and helped develop and implement the West Coast Offense at CU.

From 1991-1999, Wristen served as the running back, kickoff return and punt team coach at Northwestern University. The Wildcats won back-to-back Big 10 Titles in 1995 and 1996 during Wristen's tenure, and he coached Heisman Trophy finalist Darnell Autry. Northwestern, who played in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1949 during Wristen's time, received the 1997 NCAA Graduation Award for graduating 100 percent of its undergraduate student-athletes.

Wristen's career in Division I football started in 1990 as a graduate assistant at CU, working with the quarterbacks and running backs and helping the Buffaloes to the 1990 National Championship.

He also served as the offensive coordinator at Fort Lewis College, head football and girls basketball coach at Rocky Ford (Colo.) High School, and assistant football coach at Weslaco (Texas) High School.

As the starting quarterback at then-University of Southern Colorado, Wristen was an honorable mention All-American quarterback, guiding USC to its only NAIA National Playoff appearance in 1983. He graduated as USC's all-time leader in passing yards (3,283) and touchdown passes (26). In 1982, Wristen led the NAIA in passing efficiency with a 182.5 rating as a junior.

After graduating with an education degree, Wristen signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. After being released from the Broncos, he received a Master of Arts degree from Adams State College in 1988.