Julian Campenni is in his second season as Rutgers’ defensive ends coach in 2025 after spending the previous five years on the staff at Bowling Green. The West Pittston, Pennsylvania, native coached the defensive line all five seasons, adding the responsibilities of defensive run game coordinator in 2022 and assistant head coach in 2023.
• Helping the Scarlet Knights to a winning season and invitation to the Rate Bowl, Campenni coached DL Aaron Lewis, who earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2024.
• DL Jordan Walker emerged to tie the team lead with four sacks and grade out as the No. 14 defensive end in the Big Ten by
Pro Football Focus, recording one of the position group’s two safeties for the year as part of the comeback win over Minnesota.
• In 2023, the Falcons led the country with 28 turnovers gained and ranked 25th in total defense (326.1) playing a schedule that faced three conference champions (Liberty, Michigan, Miami (Ohio)). The defense also paced the MAC with 11 fumble recoveries, placed third in the league in sacks (2.54) and fourth in rushing defense (146.2). Bowling Green finished 2023 with a winning season for the first time since 2015 and earned a bid to the Quick Lane Bowl.
• The team posted 71 sacks the previous two seasons, the most over a two-year period in program history.
• In 2022, Campenni mentored DL Karl Brooks, a First Team All-America selection by
Pro Football Focus who earned an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
• Prior to the 2022 season, Campenni spent part of the summer with the Green Bay Packers as part of the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
• Campenni served as a graduate assistant at Boston College, focusing on the offensive line from 2017-18.
• Campenni started his coaching career as defensive line coach at Wyoming Area High School in Pennsylvania in 2016, winning a conference championship.
• Campenni played in 47 career games with 38 starts on the defensive line at Connecticut. That included serving as a team captain and being named Second Team All-American Athletic Conference as a senior in 2015.
Hometown: West Pittston, Pa.
Alma Mater: Connecticut, 2015
2024-present: Rutgers (defensive ends)
2023: Bowling Green (assistant head coach/defensive run game coordinator/defensive line)
2022: Bowling Green (defensive run game coordinator/defensive line)
2019-21: Bowling Green (defensive line)
2017-18: Boston College (graduate assistant)
2016: Wyoming Area High School (defensive line)
