Colin Bruton is in his seventh season on the Lakeland College football coaching staff as the Muskies' defensive coordinator.
In his time running the Muskie defense, Bruton has led attacking, aggressive defenses that have typically performed well in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Lakeland led the NACC in scoring defense and total defense in 2011 and was second in total defense in both 2008 and 2010 as well as second in scoring defense in 2010. The Muskies also led the conference in turnovers forced in 2010 and ranked in the top half in the conference in turnovers forced three times in four years from 2008-11.
Prior to arriving at Lakeland, Bruton served for three years as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. While at Platteville, Bruton coached the linebackers and helped lead the Pioneers to their two most successful seasons since 1992 and helped develop three all-conference players. He also served as the Pioneers' academic coordinator, overseeing the academic development of the program's 100-player roster.
Bruton competed as a two-year starter and three-year letter winner against Lakeland in the former Illini-Badger Football Conference at Benedictine University from 1999-2001. He was an all-conference selection in 2000, helping the Eagles to a 7-3 record that at the time was their best season in 15 years.
Bruton completed his bachelor's degree in 2004 at the University of Illinois, where he majored in political science. He also has a master's degree in adult education from UW-Platteville, which he completed in 2006.
