Kyle Wantland joined the Forester Athletic Department staff in January of 2026 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and the football team's wide receivers coach.
Wantland came to Lake Forest after five years on the football coaching staff at the University of Montana Western, where he served in a variety of roles on both sides of the ball. Montana Western was 41-15 overall and 31-11 in Frontier Conference play with three league titles with Wantland on staff. With Wantland as offensive coordinator in 2024, the Bulldogs scored the most points (498) and gained the most total yards (5,773) and passing yards (3,735) in program history. Seven members of the offense were named All-Frontier Conference and three earned All-American accolades, including a quarterback and wide receiver who combined for five additional single-season school records. The team was victorious in the NAIA Playoffs for the first time in three decades and reached the tournament's quarterfinal round. Wantland also served as wide receivers coach (2021-23), passing game coordinator (2023), quarterbacks coach (2024), defensive backs coach (2025), and special teams coordinator (2025) during his time at Montana Western.
Prior to joining the staff at Montana Western, Wantland spent a combined six seasons as an assistant football coach at North Dakota State College of Science (2019-20), Midwestern Prepratory Academy (2018), and Saint Ambrose University (2012-14) and three with the Allgaue Comets of the German Football League.
Wantland played four years collegiately at fellow Midwest Conference member Monmouth College and twice earned All-MWC recognition. He graduated with bachelor's degrees in history and education and later added a master's degree in organizational leadership from Saint Ambrose.
