Justin Green begins his first season in Pullman as part of Kirby Moore’s first staff after being named the Cougars running backs coach. Green arrives in Pullman having spent the past 14 seasons as the running backs coach at Montana.
Green, from San Diego, Calif., has worked with the running backs at Montana since the 2012 season. He worked as a student assistant coach at Montana in 2011, before taking over the running back room and spearheading Montana’s recruitment.
In that time, he coached some of the most prolific backs in school history, including Eli Gillman, Nick Ostmo, Marcus Knight, Jordan Canada, and the Nguyen brothers.
Gillman, a junior for UM in 2025, won the Jerry Rice Award for the nation’s top freshman in 2023 and is on pace to shatter Montana records in the run game, ranked No. 3 in rushing TDs with 49 and No. 4 in rushing yards with 3,677 following the 2025 season. This past year, Gillman ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards with 1,540 and third in rushing touchdowns with 21 as he was the Big Sky Offensive Player of the year and named to multiple All-America teams.
Ostmo quietly became one of the best running backs in program history, battling through injury to finish No. 5 on UM’s all-time leading rusher list with 2,625 yards. Knight set new school records for rushing touchdowns (23) and points scored (150) in the 2019 season, en route to Hero Sports All-America honors.
Canada is ranked fourth at Montana in career rushing yards (3,435) and rushing touchdowns (40). In his senior season of 2014, he rushed for 1,207 yards the seventh most ever in a year. In 2014 he became the second player in UM history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons (he gained 1,062 in 2013).
2017 marked the first season Green had not coached one of the Nguyen brothers, who each rank in Montana’s top ten all-time rushers. Peter Nguyen is ranked eighth in school history with 1,985 career rushing yards from 2009-12. His brother John Nguyen finished his career at UM in 2016 as the Grizzlies’ sixth all-time leading rusher with 2,066 career yards. Both brothers earned All-Big Sky honors during their career.
During his time at Montana, the Grizzlies have reached the FCS Payoffs nine times, reaching the championship game in 2023 and the semifinals in 2025.
As a player, Green had a stellar two-year career at running back at Montana and went on to four seasons in the National Football League.
He rushed for 1,784 career yards in his two seasons in Missoula in 2003 and 2004, which ranks him 11th in school history. As a junior, he rushed for 1,146 yards and 14 touchdowns and was chosen the Big Sky "Newcomer of the Year."
He was a fifth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2005 and had a four-year career in the NFL. He played three seasons at fullback for the Ravens and then played one year for the Phoenix Cardinals.
Between his stint with the Ravens and Cardinals, he coached for one season at Berean High School in Walnut Creek, Calif., working with the running backs, linebackers, and cornerbacks. He returned to Berean High School again after his final NFL season with the Cardinals, once again working with the running backs, linebackers, and cornerbacks.
He arrived at Montana, where he earned a sociology degree, from San Diego Mesa College where he played for one season (2002), and was team captain and co-MVP, rushing for 874 yards and 7 TDs, and was a JC Gridwire All-America honorable mention. He started his college career at San Diego State, where he redshirted in 2000, and he lettered for the Aztecs in 2001.
He was a standout running back at University of San Diego High School where he rushed for 5,397 career yards which at the time was the most in San Diego County history. He was a first-team All-C.I.F. selection as a junior and senior. His junior year in high school he rushed for 2,385 yards, which was the fifth most in California prep history, while his senior season he rushed for 1,801 yards and 20 TDs and was tabbed a USA Today honorable mention All-American.
He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, daughters Giana and Karis, and son Brycen.
