Utah State University Athletics

Brett Arkelian (Are-kelly-en) is in his first season with Utah State as a special teams analyst. The 2025 campaign will be Arkelian’s second year working for head coach Bronco Mendenhall. 
 
Arkelian came to Utah State after spending the 2024 season as the special teams analyst at New Mexico. Along with special teams coordinator Shane Hunter, UNM’s special teams achieved remarkable success in their one season on staff. Known for its innovation, New Mexico led the nation for successful two-point plays with five, boosting the program’s national Special Teams Efficiency ranking by 20 spots from the previous season. UNM’s punt return unit also improved 87 spots from No. 132 in 2023 to No. 45 in 2024 and the Lobos had its first punt return for a touchdown in three years. Furthermore, the punt unit (+16), kickoff return unit (+15) and field goal unit (+3) all saw improvement during the 2024 campaign.   
 
Arkelian served in a similar position at Fresno State in 2023, working with all facets of the Bulldog special teams units. Alongside the 2011 Football Scoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in John Baxter, Arkelian played a pivotal role in developing elite specialists, including Lou Groza semi-finalist Dylan Lynch, who set program records for most field goals in a game and career field goal percentage, and Special Teams U All-American snapper Nick D’Ambra. During the 2023 season, Fresno State ranked among the top 30 kickoff return units nationally and ranked second in the Mountain West in field goals made per game and kickoff return average.
 
Arkelian began his collegiate coaching career at UT Martin in 2018. He then moved to Marshall, where he worked as a special teams quality control coach during the 2020 season. Under his guidance, the Thundering Herd finished fifth in the nation for kickoff coverage.
 
He spent the spring season of 2021 with Rice as a graduate assistant for special teams and tight ends before moving to Virginia Tech, where he was a special teams graduate assistant and head of specialists recruiting for the 2021 campaign. 
 
At Virginia Tech, Arkelian worked directly with the only two-time Football Scoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year James Shibest (2007 & 2018), contributing to one of the nation’s best special teams units. During the regular season, the Hokies ranked seventh nationally for Special Teams Efficiency (ESPN). They dominated the ACC with the top-ranked punt return unit and additional top-five finishes in kickoff, punt, and kickoff return rankings. His player development efforts shone through with standout performers such as Peter Moore, who was named the ACC Freshman Punter of the Year as he averaged 45.1 yards; John Parker Romo, who made 17 field goals; and Patrick Mannelly Award Semi-Finalist Oscar Shadley, as one of the top FBS snappers in the nation. He also coached the top returner in the nation in 2021 All-ACC returner Tayvion Robinson.
 
Arkelian spent the 2022 season with UC Davis as director of player personnel, where he continued his consecutive run of all-conference special teams players by mentoring All-Big Sky kicker Isiah Gomez, solidifying his reputation for developing high-performing specialists.  
 
A native of Clovis, California, Arkelian earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Lincoln University in 2016, where he served as a punter and placekicker, and a master’s in secondary education and teaching from UT Martin in 2018, where he finished his career as a punter. 
 
A standout at Lincoln University, Arkelian started 43 consecutive games from 2014-17, demonstrating remarkable consistency and durability. He set three school records, including the highest field goal percentage, most field goals in a single season, and the longest punt in school history. His record-setting performances laid the foundation for his successful coaching career.
 
Arkelian has authored “The Kicker’s Bible”, a 200-page book of training methods and techniques gathered from over 20 NFL players and coaches, plus his own experiences.