PORTALES, N.M. – Head coach Kelley Lee has named Austin Bortle as Eastern New Mexico football’s defensive coordinator. “Coach Bortle is an outstanding coach with experience as both a head coach and a defensive coordinator,” said head coach Kelley Lee on Bortle. “Our players are picking up the new scheme faster than expected which is a testament to his knowledge and teaching ability.” Bortle comes to Portales after spending the last four years as the head sprint football coach at Quincy University and Fontbonne University. In his time at Fontbonne, he recruited over 70 student-athletes and was pivotal in the institution’s pursuit to add the sport. In 2024, he served as assistant coach at Missouri Baptist where he specifically worked with the wide receivers. He coached a group that hauled in 19 receiving touchdowns on the year. The Spartans football team had at least one receiving touchdown in all, but one contest. MBU won the most games (6) in program history during the season. Three of the four losses the team had were against top 25 programs. Bortle also spent two seasons (2016-21) with Southwest Baptist where he coached eight all-conference honorees. In his time there, he helped the program win their first conference championship and earned the team’s first trip to the NCAA DII playoffs. From 2009-15, Bortle worked at his alma mater (Lindenwood) in several roles. He began as a graduate assistant before being promoted to assistant head coach. At Lindenwood, he coached nine all-conference wide receivers and defensive linemen. Five players signed NFL contracts in his time at the institution. Over his coaching tenure, the team won over 80 games, clinched two conference championships, earned a bid for an NCAA DII bowl game, went to the NAIA playoffs four times, and appeared in the national title game. He was a wide receiver at Lindenwood for four seasons earning all-conference recognition in his time with the Lions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in sport management.