Steve Ferentz hired as South Dakota assistant coach

Steve Ferentz is taking the next leap in his coaching career, joining South Dakota as an assistant coach.

South Dakota head football coach Bob Nielson announced the hiring on Wednesday. Ferentz will work primarily with the Coyotes outside linebackers.

“We are excited to add Steve to our football staff. His background as a NCAA Division I football player and coach along with his experience coaching in the NFL will be an asset to our program,” Nielson said of Ferentz.

The youngest son of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz, Steve played for the University of Iowa as a tight end and offensive lineman from 2012-16. Steve was a junior on Iowa’s last Rose Bowl team and competed in eight games as a senior when the Hawkeyes played Florida in the Outback Bowl.

“I am excited to get to Vermillion and join Coach Nielson and his staff. I look forward to getting to work with the players and build great relationships with them that will last beyond their time at South Dakota,” Ferentz said of the opportunity to join South Dakota.

After his Iowa playing career, Steve jumped into coaching as a graduate assistant with the Hawkeyes in 2017. Then, he spent two seasons in 2018 and 2019 with Central Michigan as a graduate assistant working primarily with the Chippewas linebackers.

Finally, each of the past three seasons Steve has worked with the Miami Dolphins as an assistant linebackers coach.

Now, it’s from the NFL back to the college ranks where Steve joins a South Dakota program that finished just 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

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