St. John's University Men's Football

Contact Information Email: [email protected] Office: 320-363-2836 Bio  • A 1981 SJU graduate, Fasching (FAH-shing) became the 16th head coach in the 102-year history of Saint John’s football following the 2012 season. He replaced John Gagliardi, who announced his retirement following 60 seasons at SJU, after serving 17 seasons as an assistant football coach and recruiting coordinator at SJU. • Fasching is in his 14th season as head football coach at Saint John's in 2026 and is a seven-time (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024) MIAC Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Hall of Fame in April 2022 and St. Cloud Cathedral's Athletic Hall of Fame in February 2022, and earned the Minnesota Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Tom Mahoney Man of the Year Award in April 2024. 2025 Season The Johnnies (10-2, 8-1 MIAC) recorded their 27th 10-win season, made their 34th postseason appearance (30th in Division III) this fall and ended the season ranked as high as No. 8 in the final AFCA poll. 2024 Season SJU (11-1, 8-0 MIAC) won its MIAC-record 37th conference championship and made its 33rd postseason appearance (29th in Division III) in 2024. The 10-win season was the program's 26th. 2023 Season SJU (8-2, 7-1 MIAC) ended the 2023 season ranked as high as No. 19 in the D3football.com Top 25 poll. Despite having the second-best strength of schedule in Division III and two regionally ranked wins, Saint John's did not receive one of the four at-large bids to the postseason and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013 (no season in 2020). 2022 Season • Fasching led SJU (10-2, 7-1 MIAC) to its MIAC-record 36th conference championship and eighth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2022. The Johnnies reached the NCAA's second round and were ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in the final Division III polls. He was named the MIAC John Gagliardi Coach of the Year for the sixth time in 10 seasons. 2021 Season • The Johnnies ended the season with an 11-1 record (8-0 MIAC) in the NCAA's second round. The seven-straight postseason appearances broke the MIAC record held by former head coach John Gagliardi.  • Wide receiver Ravi Alston '21 was named the Jim Christopherson MIAC Player of the Year. 2019 Season • The Johnnies ended the season with a 12-2 record (7-1 MIAC) in the NCAA semifinals.  • Fasching was named the MIAC John Gagliardi Coach of the Year for the fourth time in seven seasons. 2018 Season • SJU (12-1, 8-0 MIAC) won the MIAC title and advanced to the national quarterfinals. The Johnnies ended the season ranked as high as No. 4 nationally. • Quarterback Jackson Erdmann ’19 was named the 2018 Gagliardi Trophy recipient, as the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III, and was also named the D3football.com National Offensive Player of the Year and the Jim Christopherson MIAC Player of the Year. • Fasching earned the D3football.com West Region Coach of the Year award and was named the MIAC John Gagliardi Coach of the Year for the third time. 2017 Season • SJU (9-2, 7-1 MIAC) made its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs and ended the season ranked No.14 nationally by both the AFCA and D3football.com.  2016 Season • The Johnnies (10-2, 7-1 MIAC) advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs for the third consecutive season in 2016. SJU ended the season ranked as high as No. 9 nationally by D3football.com. • Linebacker Carter Hanson ’17 was named the Gagliardi Trophy recipient, as the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. 2015 Season • SJU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs for the second consecutive season in 2015 and finished with a 10-2 overall record (7-1 MIAC), ranked No. 10 nationally.  2014 Season • The Johnnies advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs and finished with a 10-2 overall record, including a 7-1 mark in MIAC play to claim the program's 32nd conference championship. It was the Johnnies' first MIAC title and first Division III playoff appearance since 2009. 2013 Season • First-year head coach Gary Fasching and the Johnnies ended the 2013 season with a 7-3 record (5-3 MIAC), including a 20-18 win at then-No. 2 St. Thomas on Sept. 21. Awards & Honors (as head coach) • Gagliardi Trophy Winners (2): Jackson Erdmann in 2018, Carter Hanson in 2016 • All-Americans (42)                    • All-Region (80) • Academic All-Americans (19) • Academic All-District (62)  • MIAC's Elite 22 Award (6): D.J. Miles in 2024, Mateo Cisneros in 2021, Chris Backes in 2019 and 2018, Carter Hanson in 2016 and 2014  • MIAC Most Valuable Player (4): Aaron Syverson in 2024 (offensive), Ravi Alston in 2021, Jackson Erdmann in 2018, Sam Sura in 2014 • MIAC’s Mike Stam Award (4): Zach Frank in 2025, Michael Wozniak in 2022, Seth Morem in 2021, Ben Bartch in 2019, Nathan Brinker in 2018 • All-MIAC First Team (118) • AFCA Good Works Team (8): Dylan Wheeler in 2025, Jake Schwinghammer in 2024, Jimmy Buck in 2023, Michael Wozniak in 2022, Chris Backes in 2020, Ben Bartch in 2019, Jackson Erdmann in 2018, Will Gillach in 2017 • National Offensive Player of the Year (2): Jackson Erdmann in 2019 and 2018  • William V. Campbell Trophy Finalists (2): Michael Wozniak in 2022, Carter Hanson in 2016 • Walter Camp Division III Player of the Year (1): Aaron Syverson in 2024 Accomplishments  • The Johnnies posted a 164-39 record (120-22 MIAC) with 10 conference titles and 12 postseason appearances (22-11 playoff record), including the 2003 national championship, 2000 national runner-up performance and four national semifinal games during his tenure as an assistant coach. • Seventy-two Minnesota High School All-Star game participants attended Saint John's during Fasching's tenure as the Johnnies' recruiting coordinator. Eleven SJU defensive linemen earned a total of 15 All-America honors during his 16 seasons as the program's defensive line coach before switching to linebacker duties in 2012. Past Experience • A three-year starter for the Johnnies at linebacker (1977-78, 1980-81), Fasching graduated from SJU in 1981 with a degree in social science. He earned his master’s degree in sports management from St. Cloud State University in 2000. • Prior to joining the Johnnies' coaching staff, Fasching served as the head football coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1986-95, where he led the Crusaders to the State Class B title in 1992 and 1993. He collected a 57-46 career record over the 10 seasons, the most wins and longest tenure in school history. The 1992 state championship team ended the regular season 4-4 only to win six consecutive games for the title. The momentum turned into a perfect 14-0 record en route to the 1993 state championship and an eventual 21-game win streak. • Fasching has also served as the University's McGlynn Fitness Center director and coached the SJU throwers as an assistant with the track and field team. The Johnnies collected three All-America honors, including one national championship, and 10 conference titles under his guidance. Personal • Fasching and his wife, Cindy, have five children, 12 grandchildren and reside in St. Joseph. Gary Fasching's Record at SJU Year Overall Pct. MIAC Finish Notes 2013 7-3 .700 5-3 Fourth 2014 10-2 .833 7-1 Champions NCAA 2015 10-2 .833 7-1 Second NCAA 2016 10-2 .833 7-1 Second NCAA 2017 9-2 .818 7-1 Second NCAA 2018 12-1 .923 8-0 Champions NCAA 2019 12-2 .857 7-1 Champions NCAA 2021 11-1 .917 8-0 Champions NCAA 2022 10-2 .833 7-1 Champions NCAA 2023 8-2 .800 7-1 Third 2024 11-1 .917 8-0 Champions NCAA 2025 10-2 .833 8-1 Second NCAA 13 Seasons 120-22 .845 86-11 Six MIAC Titles 10 NCAA Appearances  

Novak is in his 17th season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2016. A 2001 graduate of SJU, Novak was named the MIAC Most Valuable Player as a linebacker in 1999 and a two-time, first-team All-America selection. He coached linebackers for 11 seasons but transitioned to the offensive side of the ball to coach running backs in 2012, only to return to the defensive side of the ball in 2013. Novak ended a 10-year tenure as the head wrestling coach at SJU following the 2013-14 season. On the mat, Novak won the national wrestling title at 197 pounds in March 2001 and was a three-time All-American. Novak and his wife, Heather, have a son, Sebastian, and daughter, Luciana, and live in St. Joseph. -

Haugen (Hoh-gen) ended his 39th season as the Johnnies' baseball head coach in 2016 with a 762-623-5 (.550) career record, which places him in the top 25 on the NCAA Division III winningest active coaches win list. He earned his 700th career win at Macalester on April 22, 2014, and became the 19th active NCAA Division III coach to reach 600 wins and 31st all-time in Division III history against the Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.) on March 2, 2010, in Arizona. On March 31, 2004, Haugen earned his 500th career victory with an 8-7 victory over Wis.-Superior, which made him the 20th active Division III coach with 500 career wins. The Johnnies have had 17 winning seasons in the last 22 years. The Johnnies set a school record for wins in 2016 with a 32-14 record (13-7 MIAC), including a 4-2 mark to finish runner-up at the NCAA Midwest Regional in La Crosse, Wis. SJU hosted the 2016 MIAC Tournament and posted a 3-0 record to earn its second consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship, and third in the last five seasons. The 1994 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Coach of the Year, Haugen guided the Johnnies to a conference championship season in 1994 and 1998 and advanced for only the second time in school history to the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Tournament in 1998. The Johnnies won their first MIAC Playoff Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history in 2012, and earned their second title in four years by accomplishing the feat in 2015. SJU capped a 4-0 run through the losers' bracket, as the visiting team in all four games, to become just the second team to lose its opener and win the title in the 16-year history of the MIAC Tournament in 2015.  Since 1978, Haugen has coached over 87 All-MIAC performers and in 1993, he saw team MVP Jon Dold become the first SJU player in over 30 years to be drafted at the professional level. He currently ranks as the "dean" of MIAC coaches with 38 seasons of conference play under his belt. A football and baseball player during his college years at SJU, Haugen also served as defensive coordinator for the 2003 NCAA champion Johnnie football team. Haugen was named 2003 NCAA Division III Defensive Coordinator of the Year by American Football Monthly. A 1976 graduate of Saint John's, Haugen has also worked as an assistant basketball coach and head hockey coach during his tenure at SJU. Jerry Haugen's Baseball Record at Saint John's, Since 1990 Jerry Haugen's Baseball Record at Saint John's, Since 1990

Isaiah Traufler is in his second season as a tight ends and recruiting assistant for SJU in 2026.  A 2024 graduate of Saint John’s, Traufler returned to Collegeville after spending the 2024 season as a player personnel and recruiting assistant at Division I (FBS) Wisconsin. During his time with the Badgers, he assisted with high school and transfer portal evaluations, recruiting operations, on-campus visits, self-scouting and film breakdown while working alongside one of the nation’s premier personnel departments. Since joining the Saint John’s coaching staff, Traufler has helped develop one of the most productive offenses in Division III football. The 2025 Johnnie offense ranked second in the nation in passing yards per game (364.8) and points per game (47.3) and third in total offense (506.8 ypg) and completion percentage (0.718). Saint John's had the best third down conversion percentage in all of college football (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII) at 0.587 (74-for-126). Under his guidance, the tight end position emerged as a key component of the offense, producing 87 receptions, 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while helping fuel one of the most explosive attacks in program history. Traufler was a tight end for the Johnnies from 2020-24 and earned his degree in exercise and health science.   

Saint John's University head football coach Gary Fasching '81 announced the addition of Alex Sais '20 as the Johnnies' new linebackers coach on Feb. 23, 2026. Sais (sice) spent the last two seasons as Case Western Reserve's (Ohio) linebackers coach (2024-25), where he coached three All-President's Athletic Conference (PAC) student-athletes at the position. Sais finished second on the 2019 team, which reached the NCAA semifinals, in tackles by one with 87 (37 solo), including 4.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a sack as a senior. He totaled 144 tackles (54 solo), including seven tackles for loss, five pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 30 career games. The Johnnies compiled a 43-7 record (29-3 MIAC) with four NCAA appearances and two MIAC championships during his four years. A two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, Sais graduated from SJU in 2020 with a degree in accounting. The Los Lunas, New Mexico native worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Father Joe's Villages in various accounting roles before entering the coaching ranks.  

Jackson is in his sixth season as a defensive assistant, as well as the program’s diversity and student success officer, in 2026. A 2019 graduate and a two-sport star, Jackson was a two-time All-American safety for SJU. He ended his career as the Johnnies’ all-time leader in defensive touchdowns (4) and finished fifth in combined kick and punt return yards (1,188). Jackson also started 170 consecutive games in the outfield for the SJU baseball team, where he was a two-time All-MIAC honoree. He ended his baseball career as SJU's all-time leader in hits (209), games played (171), at-bats (628), runs scored (132), RBI (110) and stolen bases (52). Jackson was a five-time Academic All-MIAC honoree (three in baseball, two in football).

Josh Bungum is in his 11th season as an SJU assistant coach in 2026. A 2016 graduate of SJU, Bungum was named D3football.com All-American honorable mention in 2015 as a returner, where he was a two-time All-MIAC first-team selection. A three-time All-MIAC second-team selection as a receiver, Bungum ended his career second in school history in receptions (213) and fourth in receiving yards (2,676). He was the first Johnnie to lead the team in both catches and receiving yards all four seasons since Dave Arnold ’73 (1969-72). Following graduation, Bungum signed and played for the Cineplexx Blue Devils, a professional team in the Austrian Football League (AFL) and the Central European Football League (CEFL). He also serves as an assistant baseball coach for SJU in the spring. Bungum and his wife, Alicia, reside in St. Joseph.

A defensive backs coach for the Johnnies in 2025, Saint John's University head football coach Gary Fasching '81 announced the promotion of Herberg to defensive coordinator on Feb. 2, 2026. Herberg helped coach all four of SJU's starting defensive backs to All-MIAC honors. Sophomore cornerback Westin Hoyt (Forest Lake, Minn.) was also named to D3football.com's All-Region 6 team.  The Johnnies ended the 2025 season fifth in NCAA Division III in scoring defense (12.1 ppg.); seventh in total defense (241.1 ypg.); 10th in red-zone defense (61.5 percent, 16-for-26); and 13th in defensive touchdowns (4). SJU led the MIAC in total defense (212.0 ypg.) for the fourth time in the last six seasons, and in passing defense (145.3 ypg.) in conference games, as well as second in scoring defense (9.8 ppg.) and run defense (66.7 ypg.).   Herberg came to SJU in May 2025 after leading Rocori High School to eight state tournament appearances - four as a defensive assistant (2009-17) and four more as head coach (2018-24), including Minnesota Class AAAA state championships in 2011 and 2019, and a state runner-up finish in 2023. In all, the Spartans boasted a 50-23 record with Herberg as head coach.  Herberg replaced Brandon Novak '01, who left SJU in December to become the head football coach at Loras College (Iowa) following 26 seasons as an assistant coach in Collegeville. A native of Cold Spring and a 2009 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, Herberg joined Rocori's football staff in 2009 and was the defensive coordinator in 2011 when the Spartans won their first Minnesota Class AAAA state championship.  

Dumonceaux is in his 21st season on the coaching staff in 2026 and has served as the program's recruiting coordinator since 2013. The Johnnies have compiled a 177-42 (.808) overall record and a 128-25 (.837) mark in the MIAC with nine conference championships and 14 NCAA appearances during his tenure on staff. A member of the Johnnies' 2003 national championship team and a three-year starter (2003-05) at nose tackle, Dumonceaux was a 2005 All-American and received a pair of national awards, Football Gazette's Defensive Lineman of the Year and D3football.com's Defensive Player of the Year, and received the MIAC Mike Stam Award as the conference's top lineman. As a track and field student-athlete, Dumonceaux was a five-time All-MIAC (top three) honoree in the shot put, including the MIAC indoor champion in 2005 and the outdoor runner-up in 2004. He coached the Johnnies' throwers for 10 seasons from 2006-15. Dumonceaux and his wife, Patricia, have two sons, Fischer and Fletcher, and live in St. Joseph. 

Heckendorf is in his ninth season as the Johnnies' offensive coordinator and 14th season on the offensive staff in 2026. SJU averaged 42.6 points and 470.3 yards of offense per game (152.8 rushing and 317.5 passing) in his first five seasons (61 games) as offensive coordinator (the Johnnies did not compete in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). SJU’s 512.9 yards per game and 371.4 passing yards per game in 2019 were program records. His 2025 offense ranked second in the nation in passing yards per game (364.8) and points per game (47.3) and third in total offense (506.8 ypg) and completion percentage (0.718). The Johnnies had the best third down conversion percentage in all of college football (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII) at 0.587 (74-for-126).  In 2002, Heckendorf set a pair of Wisconsin records with 116 receptions for 1,714 yards as a junior at Mosinee High School and ended his career as the state's all-time leader in receiving yards (3,831) and touchdowns (36). He was also second in career receptions (235). Heckendorf accepted a scholarship to FCS (formerly Division I-AA) North Dakota State and ended a four-year collegiate career (2005-08) as the all-time leader in catches (178) and receiving yards (2,732) for the Bison. He signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and later joined four other National Football League organizations: the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. Kole and his wife, Kristen, son, Landon, and daughter, Hallie, reside in Sauk Rapids.