Recruiting Areas: Florida, North Carolina, QB’s nationally
Kort Shankweiler begins his third season as the quarterbacks coach on John Garrett's offensive staff.
Shankweiler and the Leopard offense are coming off a 2021 spring campaign during which Lafayette posted a 2-1 record and a second straight win in the Lafayette-Lehigh series. Shankweiler's role will be crucial to the offense in the 2021 fall campaign as the Leopards do not return a quarterback with any collegiate game experience.
During his first season, Shankweiler was crucial to the development of Patriot League Rookie of the Year Keegan Shoemaker, who set a Lafayette single-season record for passing yards (2,540) after starting 11 of 12 games. The freshman led the Patriot League in total offense (241.1 ypg) and finished second in passing yards (212.1 ypg) and touchdown passes (14) while also managing to finish second on the team in rushing with 141 carries for 347 yards and three scores.
Prior to Lafayette, Shankweiler’s last coaching stop was as the offensive quality control and assistant quarterbacks coach at Tennessee under Butch Jones in 2017.
That followed a four-year stint at Florida International in Miami. Shankweiler worked as the Panthers quarterbacks and wide receivers coach from 2015-16 and was the tight ends mentor from 2013-14.
As the QB coach, Shankweiler oversaw the development of Alex McGough who set FIU career records for touchdown passes (48) and single-season records for attempts (420), completions (269), yardage (2,722) and touchdowns (21) in 2015. With the tight ends, Jonnu Smith led the Panthers in receiving yardage and receptions for two seasons and established single-game and single-season touchdown reception records. Smith was a John Mackey Award Watch List selection and All-C-USA honoree who managed 61 catches for 710 yards and eight touchdowns to lead all tight ends nationally.
Prior to FIU, Shankweiler spent three seasons as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Central Michigan, helping guide the Chippewas to a Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl title in 2012.
Shankweiler arrived at Central Michigan after two seasons as a graduate assistant at Michigan State (2008-09). He worked with the offensive line under head coach Mark Dantonio, earning the Spartans trips to the Capital One Bowl (2009) and Alamo Bowl (2010). In 2009, Michigan State finished first in the Big Ten in fewest sacks allowed and passing efficiency.
His coaching career started at the Coast Guard Academy in 2007, a year after he graduated from East Carolina with bachelor of arts degrees in History and Multidisciplinary Studies: The Classics. A versatile player, Shankweiler was a four-year letterwinner at ECU under Skip Holtz, playing quarterback, fullback and tight end while helping lead East Carolina to the 2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl.
Shankweiler’s father, Steve, has coached collegiately for more than 40 years and is currently in his fourth coaching stint at East Carolina after returning to coach the offensive line. Shankweiler is married to his wife, Aubrey.
