North Dakota
Here are 15 potential candidates to replace Jimmy Rogers as South Dakota State football coach
SIOUX FALLS — After having the same coach for a quarter century, South Dakota State is now looking for a new one after just two seasons.
Jimmy Rogers went 27-3 with a national championship after replacing John Stiegelmeier, but he’s already on to his next rung on the ladder, as the new head coach of Washington State, where he replaces another former Stiegelmeier assistant in Jake Dickert, who left Wazzu to coach Wake Forest.
SDSU athletic director Justin Sell always says he has a list of names ready for anytime he needs to make a coaching change, but this might be bit more challenging. Rogers is expected to bring his staff with him to Pullman, and there wasn’t necessarily an obvious in-house candidate on staff, anyway.
There seems to be an assumption among fans that Sell would prefer to hire in-house, and that if that can’t work at least bring in someone with ties to the program.
Maybe. But this feels like a time to cast a wide net and consider candidates from outside the program, too.
Here’s a list of 15 candidates. If you’ve been following my work for awhile you know I have a pretty good track record with these, but I want to make clear, here. I would not at all be surprised or embarrassed if the eventual SDSU football coach isn’t one of these 15 guys.
I’m not going to speculate about assistant coaches I know nothing about from programs I don’t cover. Maybe there’s a position coach in the Big Ten or SEC or the NFL who wants the job. That could very well be the case. So keep that in mind while reading this list.
There’s already been plenty of hand-wringing about Rogers leaving the program in the dust. Not only is that not really fair, let me assure you, the Jacks program is going to be fine.
Will they take a step back? Almost certainly. Star receiver Griffin Wilde announced he’s entering the transfer portal on Saturday and more are sure to follow.
But the Jacks still have all the pieces in place to win and win big. Remember, the FCS doesn’t have a ton of great contenders right now. Unless SDSU isn’t able to hang on to any of their players I’d expect them to be back in the playoffs next year (keeping pace with USD and NDSU may be another story, at least in the short term).
Anyway, here are 15 candidates, listed in alphabetical order.
Nick Benedetto, defensive coordinator, Fresno State
He played cornerback under Kalen DeBoer at USF, spent a year as a grad assistant at USD and then served as defensive coordinator at West Virginia State, USF, Samford and, for the last three years, Northern Illinois. He was just hired at Fresno State, but could be interested in coming back to South Dakota for his first shot at being a head coach.
Brian Bergstrom, head coach, Winona State
Served as SDSU’s safeties coach and then co-defensive coordinator, along with Rogers, from 2019-2021. From there he went to Division II Winona State, where he took the Warriors to the playoffs in his debut season but has gone 5-6 in each of the last two.
Josh Davis, Fresno State offensive coordinator
The former SDSU assistant just left USD after two successful seasons as offensive coordinator to take the same job at Fresno State, an FBS program. Would he turn back around and come home to Brookings to lead his alma mater? My hunch is no but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Eric Eidsness, quarterbacks coach, Northern Illinois
SDSU’s offensive coordinator before Jason Eck (who was before Zach Lujan who was before Ryan Olson), Eidsness presided over some truly explosive Jackrabbit offenses and served some time as the assistant head coach, as well.
He’s since been at Northern Illinois, where he’s been the quarterbacks coach since 2019 and was offensive coordinator from 2019-22. Eidsness was behind the Zach Zenner and Taryn Christion-led offenses of SDSU’s pre-Frisco era, and he posted a 26-40 record in six seasons as the head coach at Division II Southwest Minnesota State, which is much better than it sounds if you know anything about that program.
Danny Freund, quarterbacks coach, SDSU
A surprise addition to the Jacks staff in 2024, Freund had been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach at North Dakota, where he’d also been a quarterback. He seemed to be the coach-in-waiting under Bubba Schweigert, but instead he came to SDSU, and then after one year Schweigert retired and the Hawks hired Eric Schmidt.

Did SDSU bring Freund in to be their coach in waiting, knowing Rogers would likely not be here long? Perhaps. But if he’s going with Rogers to Washington State it’s a non-starter. And even if he wants to stay here the Jacks may decide to go elsewhere.
Dan Jackson, defensive coordinator, New Mexico
The father of the ‘NebraskaJacks’, Jackson was once SDSU’s cornerbacks coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach, and certainly made an impression in his stint in Brookings as an aggressive recruiter and outgoing personality. He recruited the hell out of Nebraska, making enemies in Lincoln by stealing from the Huskers’ pool of walk-ons.
He’s since been to Northern Illinois, Vanderbilt and spent the past season as the defensive coordinator for Jason Eck at Idaho. He just agreed to follow Eck to New Mexico. FBS money may be tough to compete with, but Jackson has never been a head coach and might be ready to make the move.
Jake Landry, offensive coordinator, NDSU
Just completed his first year as NDSU’s offensive coordinator. Landry is also a former UND quarterback (he was the QB when they lost to USF in 2009), one who’s been at some successful programs in a 15-year coaching career.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
UMD (under Bob Nielson), Northern Illinois, Wisconsin-La Crosse, St. Thomas and even a year as an FBS position coach when he spent one season as the quarterback coach at Temple.
Zach Lujan, offensive coordinator, Northwestern
My sources say Lujan is a popular choice among players and administration. But he’s reportedly making about a half-million a year at Northwestern and has only been there for one season. He’d be taking a pay cut to come back and he may not be ready to be a head coach yet, either.

Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
Then again, he’s an extremely bright and mature young coach. His players at SDSU loved him. He’s also an alum and Northwestern went 4-8 this year. The Wildcats face a big challenge in the expanded Big Ten. Maybe Lujan could decide it would be better for his career to come back to Brookings to take his first head coaching gig to better serve a later climb up the ladder.
Luke Meadows, offensive line coach, Northern Illinois
It’s been more than a decade since he was in Brookings, but Meadows is an SDSU alum, was associate head coach in 2005 and offensive coordinator from 2008-2012. He’s an offensive line coach by trade.
He later worked at Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss, Eastern Michigan, Troy and most recently Northern Illinois.
Jerry Olszewski, head coach, Augustana
I’m well aware that SDSU fans will oppose the idea of a national championship FCS team hiring a Division II coach, particularly one that used to be an inferior rival, but these are unique circumstances under which it does make a little more sense.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Namely: Rogers’ departure is expected to lead to a mass exodus of SDSU players into the transfer portal. Well, OJ recruits a lot of the same players. Many of SDSU’s best had offers from Augustana. Most had positive impressions of OJ and the Viking program. Olszewski could potentially stem the tide of transfers out the door through his own familiarity with the region and the players in it.
He’s also led the Vikings to consecutive NSIC titles, brought his team to Brookings in September and held the Jacks to 24 points, and has often talked of molding his program in the image of SDSU.
Kurtiss Riggs, analyst, Riggs Academy director
Nobody knows the local recruiting scene better than Riggs, who was once the right-hand man of Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. He’s been the color analyst for SDSU games on Midco the last few years so he knows the Jackrabbit roster well, knows the program well, and so far hasn’t joined DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Now that he’s done with the indoor game the time might be right for Riggs to take his first college head coaching job. The guy knows how to win — he was a part of four national championships at USF (one as a player, three as assistant coach) and won 11 titles as the head coach of the Sioux Falls Storm.
Brad Salem, tight ends coach, Memphis
A Sioux Falls native and son of former Gophers coach Joe Salem, Brad helped launch Augustana’s run of success in Division II, and then spent a decade at Michigan State, coaching running backs, quarterbacks and spending one year as offensive coordinator. He’s been at Memphis for the last four years. He’s 54, but Salem knows everybody and has coached some pretty high level players.
John Stiegelmeier, retired former SDSU coach
If Rogers were leaving to, say, be the defensive coordinator at Georgia or something and not taking anyone with him, I would go as far out of my way as I could to make the case that bringing back Stig for a year or two would be the right decision. He could slide right back into the same role he had near the end of his career — the guy who coaches the coaches — and groom a potential successor.

Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
But if almost the entire staff is gone, that seems like an awful daunting task, asking the soon-to-be 68-year old to come in and build a staff from scratch and try to retain/rebuild the roster.
That said, Stig didn’t really want to retire when he did (he stepped aside to prevent Rogers from leaving for the D-coordinator job at Washington State), he’s stuck at 199 career wins and while he’s content in retirement he also might be a little bored. It wouldn’t be a bad direction to go.
Jed Stugart, head coach, Lindenwood
The former USF coach has gone 41-38 in seven seasons at Lindenwood, a newcomer to the FCS level. He had a close relationship with John Stiegelmeier and keeps close tabs on the South Dakota football scene. A former country music singer, the 54-year-old Stugart has the kind of charisma and personality to help sell tickets, raise money and win over fans and recruits.
But perhaps more importantly, the guy knows how to take over a successful program and keep it running. He replaced Kalen DeBoer in 2010 after DeBoer had just won his second consecutive (and third overall) national championship. DeBoer left USF with a 67-3 record, his top two assistants (Chuck Morrell and Kurtiss Riggs) also left and so did dozens of star players.
Stugart stepped in and reloaded the roster quickly, taking USF right back to the national championship game and eventually up to the Division II level where they immediately became playoff contenders.
Zach Zenner, former SDSU running back
I’m mostly joking with this one, but there is a sudden trend of hiring former star players with little coaching experience. The idea seems to be that celebrity coaches sell tickets, attract donors and impress recruits.

David Samson / The Forum
David Samson/Forum Communications Co.
Zenner has been working as an agent since his five-year NFL career ended, he’s got a genius intellect and, much like Rogers, is a much funnier and personable guy in person than he sometimes comes across on camera.
Who’s to say he couldn’t build something special?
North Dakota
Gas prices rise slightly in North Dakota amid Iran conflict
FARGO — Drivers can expect to see a slight uptick in gas prices as a result of the Iran conflict.
As of Monday, March 2, the average for North Dakota is $2.65 a gallon. While that is a $0.13 increase from a month ago, it is significantly lower than prices a year ago.
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North Dakota
State humanities group receives funding for ‘America 250’ activities
GRAND FORKS – The Study ND, formerly Humanities North Dakota, has received $15,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts for a statewide theater and humanities initiative in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
This commemorative investment is meant to bring historical events and figures – such as the framers of the U.S. Constitution – to life through virtual and live performances that celebrate the nation’s history.
The grant, along with funding from private sources, has made it possible for The Study ND to host “America 250” activities after the organization sustained a considerable cut in funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities last year, according to Brenna Gerhardt, The Study ND executive director.
“We absorbed a 50% budget cut, resulting in a loss of $467,645 in funding,” Gerhardt said. “As a result, we had to significantly scale back our American 250 initiatives focused on American history and civics education.”
Funds received from the National Endowment for the Arts will be used to present public readings, theatrical portrayals and guided discussions to encourage audience members to reflect on the nation’s founding in 1776 and on its democratic ideals, while engaging in contemporary conversations about civic life.
All of the programming in the series organized by The Study ND, titled “American Heroes,” will be livestreamed statewide.
In the grant application submitted to the National Endowment for the Arts, “we framed the project around a simple idea: democracy requires more than information, it requires citizens who can think historically, listen well, and argue in good faith,” Gerhardt said.
“This series uses living history performances to bring consequential figures into the room, then turns the room into a civic space through moderated dialogue and related public events. We define ‘heroism’ as civic courage under pressure, the willingness to contend with hard truths, and the capacity to enlarge a community’s moral imagination,” she said.
“The project does not ask audiences to agree on a single interpretation of a figure. It invites them to grapple with complexity together, and to connect the past to the responsibilities of the present.”
When Gerhardt and her colleagues received the application for grant proposals from the National Endowment for the Arts, “we were already planning a line-up of America 250 events and it fit perfectly with what we were already planning, so then we just wrote the grant,” she said.
Private funds, including matching funds from the Bismarck-based Tom and Frances Leach Foundation, have also been provided for this project.
Details about all the events will probably be posted on the website
www.TheStudyND.org
in March, Gerhardt said.
The America 250 events, which are planned to take place at Bismarck State College, are 5-6 p.m. July 8, “Reading of the Declaration of Independence, with John Adams,” and 6-7:30 p.m. July 9, “Alexander Hamilton Speaks,” both performed by William Chrystal.
The Living History programs are planned for 7-8:15 p.m. Sept. 17, “Thomas Paine,” performed by Doug Mishler, and Oct. 6, 7-8:15 p.m, “Frederick Douglass,” performed by Nathan Richardson. Both will be moderated by Susan Frontczak.
The performers Chrystal and Richardson live in Virginia, Frontczak in Colorado,and Mishler in Nevada.
Another program, “Hemingway and Gellhorn,” is set for Sept. 16-18 at Bismarck State College, Gerhardt said. “It is part of our broader Chautauqua/living history programming connected to America 250 … (and) will feature performances and discussion centered on Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, using their lives and writing as a way to explore major questions about American identity, war reporting, public memory, and the stories we tell about freedom, conflict and responsibility.
“What I am excited about with this event is that it gives us a way to approach America 250 beyond founding-era material. In other words, it helps us show the American story is not just about 1776, but also about the generations that followed and how Americans wrestled with democracy, power, truth and moral courage.”
This program “expands the initiative beyond commemoration into reflection, dialogue and interpretation, which is where the humanities are especially valuable,” she said. “It helps us reach audiences who may be drawn in through literature, journalism and performance, not only traditional history events.”
The Hemingway and Gellhorn program fits in with America 250 in that “it broadens the frame and adds depth to the larger effort.”
Gerhardt is hoping that these activities will give participants “a better understanding of all the debates and issues going on when our country was founded, and how those debates are continuing today,” she said, “and just to be more thoughtful and informed citizens.”
College students and members of the general public will also be invited to participate in a workshop aimed at teaching participants how to build a living history performance from primary sources and historical research.
Last year, The Study ND lost a substantial amount of funding – nearly $468,000, about half of its annual budget – from the National Endowment for the Humanities for its fiscal 2025 year.
The loss of that much funding was discouraging, Gerhardt said. “Very much so, because we had a lot of activities planned for America 250 and we had to cancel a lot of them, or – like in this case – seek other funding, which we were lucky to get.”
The Study ND currently has four full-time employees, she said. “We eliminated a part-time marketing position after the cuts.”
A nonprofit organization, The Study ND provides civics, arts and cultural education programming. The organization’s programs – which include online classes, book talks, lectures and more – reached about 24,000 people in 2024, Gerhardt told the North Dakota Monitor in April 2025.
During the summer, the organization hosts a civics education program for high school and middle school social studies teachers, she said.
North Dakota
Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes
On this day in 1943, two North Dakota army officers, Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz and First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson, were killed in separate medium bomber training crashes in Florida and Georgia.
Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:
Army Plane Crashes Kill Two N. D. Men
Two North Dakota officers in the army air forces were killed Sunday in bomber crashes during training flights, Associated Press dispatches revealed Monday.
Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz of Harvey (Wells county) was killed with 10 others from the Avon Park, Fla., army bomber base when two medium bombers collided during a routine formation flight. Both planes crashed and there were no survivors.
First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson of Warwick (Benson county) was one of six killed when a medium bomber from MacDill field, Tampa, Fla., crashed near Savannah, Ga. Lieutenant Anderson was co-pilot of the plane.
None of the other victims of either accident was from the Dakotas or Minnesota.
Lieutenant Kuntz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kuntz of Harvey, was graduated from the army air force navigation school at Hondo, Texas, as a second lieutenant last October, and received his wings as a navigator.
Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.
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