University of North Dakota Men's Football

Schweigerts defense led the Big Sky in rushing defense for the second straight season under his watch and the offense improved immensely thanks in large part to the record-breaking production of true freshman running back John Santiago. After a 4-3 start that included the program's first victory over an FBS opponent (24-13 win at Wyoming) and first DI victory over a ranked opponent on the road (19-17 win at No. 16 Portland State), the Fighting Hawks would close the campaign on a three-game winning streak to post the program's first seven-win season since 2011. Santiago was named the Co-Big Sky Freshman of the Year and collected All-America honors from the Associated Press and STATS, Inc. He was also a unanimous All-Big Sky first team performer and was joined on that team by senior linebacker Will Ratelle and offensive lineman Sean Meehan, who was also named to the AFCA All-America Team. Eight more Fighting Hawks would garner all-league honors in 2015 as the defense once again ranked among the tops in the Big Sky, ranking first in rush defense and second in total defense. In the classroom, 17 UND football players were named to the All-Big Sky Academic Team, breaking the previous year's record by one. In his first season back at UND, Schweigerts 2014 squad won five games overall, which was a two-game improvement from the previous season. The campaign was highlighted by a 30-28 upset of No. 22 Northern Arizona in the final home game of the season at the Alerus Center. UND took the positive vibes from a victory that knocked NAU out of the FSC playoff hunt to Greely, Colo., the next Saturday where the team closed out the season with its first Big Sky road win of the season -- a 33-14 defeat of Northern Colorado. The defensive-minded head coach still works with the teams cornerbacks and they were part of a unit that led the Big Sky in total defense and rush defense in 2014. Two newcomers earned All-Big Sky Conference honors (KR Alex Tillman and PK Reid Taubenheim) and seven more players were named honorable mention in Schweigerts first season. There were also 16 UND football players named to the All-Big Sky Academic team, which tied a program record for individuals honored in one season. The Zeeland, N.D., native returned to Grand Forks after 10 years away from a program that he helped lead to the 2001 NCAA Division II national title as defensive coordinator. Prior to his return to UND, Schweigert was the defensive coordinator at Southern Illinois for the previous six seasons (2008-13) and served as associate head coach for the last five of that stretch. His 2010 defense led the Missouri Valley in total defense and his unit finished in the top half of the league in four of his six campaigns at SIU. In his six seasons at SIU, Schweigert coached three first team All-Americans and 20 all-conference selections (10 first team, six second team, four honorable mentions). His defensive standouts have included linebacker and 2012 graduate Jayson DiManche, currently playing for Cincinnati Bengals, and cornerback Korey Lindsey, a three-time All-American and a 2011 draft pick of the Bengals. In 2013, SIU linebacker Bryan Presume earned first team All-MVFC honors after ranking third in the league with 104 tackles. His 55 solo stops were tops in the conference. It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve the University of North Dakota as its head football coach, said Schweigert at the time of his hiring. I am looking forward to hiring a staff and building a program that will represent UND in a first-class manner, both on and off the field. We will put forth great effort to facilitate positive relations with fans, alumni, the community and the student body. We look forward to playing exciting championship football in front of thousands of loyal fans as we strive to win the Big Sky Conference championship and, ultimately, reach the pinnacle of FCS football. Prior to arriving at SIU, Schweigert took on his first head coaching job at the collegiate level, leading the Division II program at Minnesota Duluth from 2004-07. He guided the Bulldogs to a 22-21 overall record during his tenure, including the programs first North Central Conference title in 2005. The NCAA playoff berth that season was the programs second in four seasons. That same season, Schweigert was also named the D2football.com Northwest Region Coach of the Year and the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year for Region 5. This will be the second stint at UND for Schweigert. He spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach in Grand Forks (1989-2003) where he was part of eight NCAA playoff teams and six NCC title squads. Schweigert was elevated to defensive coordinator at UND prior to the 1997 season and left for Duluth after the 2003 UND team finished as national runner-up. Schweigert was named the American Football Coaches Association Division II Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. In his seven seasons as UNDs defensive coordinator, Schweigerts defensive players earned 14 All-America honors and 23 first-team All-NCC accolades. His 2001 defense yielded just 191.4 yards of offense and 50.3 rushing yards per game, while limiting opponents to 12.5 points per game on the way to the programs first national championship. Schweigert began his coaching career at his alma mater, now the University of Jamestown, from 1985-1988. He earned a bachelors degree in business administration from Jamestown and a masters degree from UND. In 2002, he was honored with Jamestowns Rollie Greeno Award for outstanding commitment in the field of education and coaching. Schweigert and his wife, Laura, have two sons, Alex and Cooper. -- UND --

D.J. Davis was hired as the running backs coach on Jan. 22, 2025, and will be entering his first season at North Dakota in 2025. Davis joins UND as the running backs coach after previously serving as the running backs coach at Lenoir-Rhyne. With the help of his leadership in 2024, the Bears reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs with a record of 10-3. Throughout the year, his running backs averaged 111.7 yards rushing per game. Alex Boyd, the leading rusher on the team, ranked No. 5 in the conference in rushing touchdowns (8) at the end of the season. Before his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, Davis served as a graduate assistant at Charleston Southern in 2022 and was a graduate assistant at Southern Illinois in 2023. Under his direction, the Salukis reached the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2023. He received his start in coaching as a running backs coach for Deerfield Beach High School in 2020 and held that position until 2022. Prior to coaching, Davis was a running back for the Salukis and totaled 2,697 career rushing yards. His career rushing mark currently sits No. 5 in school history and he also hauled in 112 career receptions, which sits No. 11 in SIU history. He piled up five 100-yard rushing games as a senior and graduated from Southern Illinois in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is currently working on his master's degree in sports administration at SIU.

Trevor Olson was hired as the offensive line coach on Feb. 8, 2024, and will be entering his second season with UND in 2025. Coming into 2024, Olson inherited a group that only had one returning offensive lineman and rebuilt the line, helping North Dakota have the No. 13 red-zone scoring offense (89.6 percent) in the FCS by the end of the season. Thanks to the push up front, North Dakota also ranked No. 20 in the country in time of possession (31:32), No. 20 in third down conversion percentage (45.6) and No. 25 in rushing offense (186.9). Right tackle Seth Anderson received honorable mention All-MVFC recognition at the end of the season. Olson served as the offensive line coach at Winona State the previous two seasons and helped the Warriors produce two All-NSIC offensive linemen. The blocking of his offensive line also helped seven other Winona State offensive players reach all-conference status. In his opening season at WSU in 2022, the Warriors made the NCAA Division II playoffs. Prior to Winona State, Olson spent from 2016 until January of 2022 as the offensive line coach at Southern Illinois, where he mentored four all-conference linemen. SIU's offensive line paved the way for two 1,000-yard rushers in 2019 and the Salukis finished 12th nationally in rushing yardage that season. His offensive line also played a crucial part in the record-setting offense in 2016, where the Salukis had the No. 4 passing attack in the nation and led the MVFC with 331.6 yards through the air each game. Olson's first coaching opportunity came at the University of Minnesota, where he was a graduate assistant from 2013-16. He served under head coach Jerry Kill and worked primarily with the offensive line. During that time, Olson was responsible for all game day offensive line adjustments while working with the offensive coordinator. He also had a five-month stint as an administrative assistant with Minnesota football before getting the opportunity to coach. Olson was an offensive lineman at Northern Illinois from 2008-11 and helped the Huskies win the MAC Championship in 2010. He was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time First Team All-MAC offensive lineman, was named a Phil Steele All-American in 2011 and received 54 starts on the NIU offensive line. Olson earned his bachelor's degree in history from the University of Northern Illinois in 2011 and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a master's degree in sports management & kinesiology in 2015.

Tyson Maeva comes to Grand Forks after serving as a defensive graduate assistant coach at San Diego State in 2024 and a defensive graduate assistant at Washington from 2022-23. He will serve as the coach of the defensive tackles at North Dakota and will be entering his first season in 2025. While with the Aztecs, Maeva assisted the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and actively evaluated and recruited linebacker and defensive prospects. He generated weekly install, scouting and gameplan reports for position players. At Washington, he coordinated the scout offense and service teams and performed opponent breakdowns and assisted the defensive staff with game planning. Before coaching, Maeva spent six years playing linebacker at three different institutions. He began his playing career at Boise State from 2016-18 and then transferred to Florida International for the 2019 and 2020 seasons before concluding his career at Fresno State in 2021. He was named the Newcomer of the Year with the Bulldogs in 2021 and was twice an All-Mountain West performer with the Broncos. Maeva graduated from FIU with a bachelor's degree in communications in December of 2020.

K.J. Maye was hired as the wide receivers coach at North Dakota in Jan. 2026. The 2026 season will be his first on the staff.   Maye comes to Grand Forks after serving as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of North Alabama for one season, where he worked in all aspects of player development, game preparation and recruiting for the Lions.   "K.J. adds experience to our staff in both coaching and recruiting," said Schmidt at the time of his hiring. "He is an excellent teacher and relentless recruiter. He has ties through the Midwest and into the southern states as well. I'm excited to add K.J. and his family to our staff."   Prior to his collegiate coaching experience, Maye spent five seasons coaching in the Mobile County Public School System, including serving as an offensive coordinator. His offenses ranked among the top in the region, highlighted by a 2023-24 season in which his team averaged more than 35 points per game and advanced to the regional semifinals.   "I am excited to join the North Dakota football staff," said Maye. "My wide receiver standard has always been about how you play without the football, determines how much you love your teammates. My family and I can't wait to get started."   Maye also brings professional playing experience, having spent time in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He had stints with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Edmonton Eskimos during his professional career.   A 2016 graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota, Maye played four seasons with the Golden Gophers and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors in his senior campaign after finishing with 73 catches, 773 yards and five touchdowns.

Schwenzfeier will embark on his fourth season as an assistant coach at his alma mater in 2016. After working with the running backs during the 2012 season, Schwenzfeier transitioned back to the side of the ball where he starred for UND and will work with the outside linebackers for his third-straight season. In 2015, Schwenzfeier's position group helped UND once again rank among the tops in the Big Sky in rush defense (1st; 100.3 ypg) and total defense (2nd; 359.9 ypg). Junior Brian Labat was named second team All-Big Sky after racking up 9.0 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Sophomore Jake Disterhaupt shared the team lead with 4.0 sacks in his first season as a starter. In his first year working with the outside linebackers, his unit accounted for 38 of the team's 111 tackles for loss, which ranked sixth nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision in 2015. The defense also ranked a top the Big Sky in total defense and rush defense. Labat led that group with a team-high 12.0 TFL's, while junior Dayo Idowu had 9.0 and was named ROOT SPORTS Big Sky Player of the Week for his efforts in the win over Stony Brook. Schwenzfeier made 37 career starts and played in all 44 games at strong safety during a four-year career that spanned from 2007-10. He finished his career with 10 interceptions and tied a UND single-game record with three in the 2009 season-opener at Texas Tech. Schwenzfeier was named to the media's All-Great West first team following his senior season in 2010. He had three interceptions in that season, including taking one back for a 100-yard touchdown return.  He earned his bacehlor's degree in business economics from UND in 2011.

Shawn Kostich is coming into his 12th season with UND football in 2025 as the special teams coordinator. As part of Coach Schmidt's staff, Kostich will be moving to the defensive side of the ball and coach the nickels, after previously serving as a coach for the tight ends and fullbacks. In 2024, kicker C.J. Elrichs gained honorable mention All-MVFC accolades and led the conference in field goals made per game (1.2). Return specialist Sawyer Seidl earned MVFC All-Newcomer status and ranked No. 6 nationally and led the league in yards per kick return (28.5), while also ranking No. 4 in the conference in combined kick return yardage (484). Fullback/tight end Jaden Norby also received Second Team All-MVFC honors and his blocking helped the Fighting Hawks rank No. 13 in the FCS in red-zone scoring (89.6 percent). His blocking also helped NoDak put up over 400 yards of offense three times, highlighted by 601 yards in the 72-35 win over Murray State. The Fighting Hawks had stellar season returning the ball in 2023, ending the season ranked No. 1 in the FCS in kick return yardage and averaging 27.83 yards per kickoff return. North Dakota’s outstanding return average was highlighted by Luke Skokna’s 100-yard opening kickoff return for touchdown in the 49-24 win over No. 6 North Dakota State and Red Wilson’s 99-yard opening kickoff return for a score at No. 6 South Dakota. The kick return combination of Skokna, Wilson and C.J. Siegel averaged 31.40 yards per return as a group in 2023. UND’s tight ends and fullbacks were also instrumental in North Dakota’s success in 2023, with their blocking helping the Hawks rank No. 2 in the MVFC and No. 3 nationally in completion percentage (70.3). Fighting Hawk quarterbacks also recorded the No. 14 passing efficiency rating (153.02) in the country and NoDak had the No. 17 red zone scoring offense in the nation, finding the end zone 87.8 percent of the time when reaching the red zone. North Dakota flipped the field with special teams in 2022, ranking No. 3 nationally in punt returns (20.20 yards) and No. 7 in kickoff return yardage (20.20 yards). The Hawks were also spectacular when going after specialists, recording four blocked punts and a total of six blocked kicks to rank No. 3 and No. 5 in the nation, respectfully. Siegel played a key role in the phenomenal field position, averaging 29.1 yards per kickoff return to sit No. 7 in the FCS in that category. He also tied for No. 12 nationally in blocked kicks with teammate Malachi McNeal, with both Hawks blocking two kicks on the season. Cole Davis and Marcus Vaughn-Jones each scored a touchdown off a blocked punt to finish the season tied for No. 12 in the FCS in punt return touchdowns. UND specialists also stepped up in 2022, led by fifth-year punter Cade Peterson averaging 39.86 yards per punt and tallying 37 punts for 1,475 yards. He pinned teams inside their own 20 on 13 occasions and had six punts of over 50 yards, allowing just three returns on the season. At the end of the year, Peterson was a Campbell Trophy Semifinalist. Senior kicker Brady Stevens went a perfect 45-for-45 on extra point attempts, made 13 field goals and averaged 6.0 points per game to tie as the No. 8 point scorer in the MVFC. True freshman long snapper David Neuberger appeared in all 12 games and helped the Hawks successfully get off 39 punts for 1,550 yards and average 39.74 yards per punt. North Dakota brought back its entire battery in 2021, with Adam Stage (kicker), Peterson (punter) and Ross Hinders (long snapper) all set to return for the season. An injury to Stage forced Stevens into the kicking duties, and the walk-on shined by hitting 5-of-7 field goals and averaging over 62 yards per kick-off and 35 touchbacks. Peterson put together his best season in a UND uniform with 40.4 yards per punt, only three touchbacks and 19 going inside the 20. He booted six punts over 50 yards, including a 57-yarder.  Tight end Adam Zavalney emerged as an elite receiving threat for the Fighting Hawks in 2021, hauling in 20 catches for 303 yards and four touchdowns. Those four scores were tied for second on the team and finished third among tight ends in the Missouri Valley.  Some shuffling occurred for the Fighting Hawks in 2020-21, as transfer Adam Stage took over the kicking duties. The senior nailed three of his four field goals on the season and converted 26-of-29 extra points. He split the kickoff duties with Stevens, teaming up to not allow a single touchdown return on the campaign. Kostich's coverage team once again provided some big moments on the season, blocking a pair of punts in wins over No. 3 South Dakota State and No. 12 Missouri State, with the block against the Bears going for a touchdown in the FCS playoffs. Peterson also converted a fake punt that led to a scoring drive in that upset win over the Jackrabbits.  Fullback Brett Finke and tight ends Adam Zavalney and Derek Paulson also made big plays in the passing game, as Finke hauled in the first score of the season in a win over No. 24 Southern Illinois and Paulson grabbing three of his six catches for first downs. Zavalney made his catches count as a redshirt freshman, matching the lead in touchdowns with three.  With his entire battery returned for the 2019 season, Kostich and his special teams unit saw a lot of improvement. Sophomore kicker Brady Leach nailed 12 field goals on the season, including a game-winner against No. 12 UC Davis, while also averaging over 60 yards per kickoff. The coverage team also had its moments, blocking a pair of punts for touchdowns, and not allowing a single TD return all season. Alex Cloyd came up with both blocked kicks, including the go-ahead score to defeat No. 9 Montana State.  Cloyd was also big in the passing game for the Hawks, hauling in 10 passes for 67 yards and three scores. The senior grabbed a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner, in a road win at Cal Poly.   The 2018 campaign was one of the biggest challenges for Kostich, as he welcomed an entirely new battery to his special teams unit. Redshirt freshman kicker Brady Leach, true freshman punter Peterson, and true freshman long snapper Ross Hinders anchored the squad in 2018.  UND once again provided offense in the return game, accounting for a pair of scores in a near-upset over No. 4 Weber State. Evan Holm had a 90-yard kick return for a touchdown and the Hawks returned a blocked field goal the distance in the contest.  The tight ends and fullbacks accounted for nearly 200 yards receiving and a pair of scores.  In 2017, senior Reid Taubenheim connected on 15 field goals and ended his UND career with 59 regular-season field goals, which are the second most in program history, and 60 for his career, which are the third most. Taubenheim earned the third All-Big Sky accolade of his career as well. Austin Dussold finished his two-year run as the team’s starting punter with the third-best overall average of 41.1 ypp in program history. John Santiago combined for 970 return yards in 2017 en route to collecting All-America accolades as an all-purpose player. He averaged 18.5 yards per punt return and had four returns of 30-plus yards, including a 64-yarder for a touchdown in the road win at Portland State. Three of Kostich’s tight ends all scored a receiving touchdown on the season and accounted for 16 catches and 235 receiving yards. Kostich’s special teams units served a major role during UND’s historic output in 2016 that saw the Fighting Hawks win a share of the Big Sky Championship and earn the program’s first FCS Playoff berth. Santiago tied the school-record with a 100-yard kickoff return in the win over Weber State and went on to earn numerous All-America honors as a return specialist. Taubenheim returned to his all-conference form in 2016, earning All-Big Sky second team accolades. He matched his make total from his freshman season with 16 and his 45 career makes are tied for the fifth most field goals in UND history. Dussold’s punting average of 42.1 ypp was the sixth-best, single-season effort in program history. His fullbacks and tight ends helped UND produce its second-straight season with more than 2,500 rushing yards. The same was true in 2015 when his position groups contributed a great deal to that team’s success. UND won seven games for the first time since the 2011 season. Senior fullback Zach Adler was named to the All-Big Sky second team after catching 18 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns and helping pave the way for a record-breaking ground game that amassed 2,645 yards. Sophomore punter Mitch Meindel also earned second team All-Big Sky accolades after breaking a UND single-season record by averaging 44.5 ypp in 2015.   In his first season at UND, Kostich coached three of his players to All-Big Sky honors, including Taubenheim, who earned third-team honors after leading all FCS rookies with those 16 made field goals. Taubenheim connected on 11 of his final 12 attempts during the season and hit a game-winner from 35 yards out with four seconds remaining to upset No. 22 Northern Arizona. Adler also had a productive season en route to honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a tight end. He finished second on the team with 24 receptions and led the team with 265 receiving yards. Adler and fullback Dwayne Pecosky, who also collected honorable mention honors, were key blockers for a run game that found its footing late in the season, averaging 170.0 ypg in the final five contests.  Kostich arrived in Grand Forks after a five-year stint that spanned two coaching staffs at Minnesota. In his first role as an offensive intern on head coach Tim Brewster’s staff, Kostich worked with the tight ends and broke down opponent’s defensive film from 2009-10. When Jerry Kill took over as head coach, Kostich rejoined the staff as a defensive graduate assistant and worked primarily with the safeties for the past three seasons (2011-13). He was also the lead coach for the kickoff unit and coached individual positions on punt units, punt return units and kickoff return units. His first coaching job after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology (2008) from Minnesota was at Breck High School where he worked with the wide receivers and defensive backs. Kostich also holds master’s degrees from Minnesota in applied kinesiology (2009) and exercise physiology (2015). Kostich and his wife, Emily, were married in 2020. 

Travis Stepps will begin his 10th season at UND in 2025 and his eighth year coaching the cornerbacks. Coach Stepps spent his first two seasons at UND with the safeties. With Stepps' guidance, Devin Hembry earned First Team All-MVFC status and Avery Scott was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2024. Hembry defended just 1.0 passes per game, ranking him as the No. 2 pass defender in the conference. He also tied for No. 3 in the league in interceptions per game (0.3) and had a 92-yard pick-six in the 52-28 win over Idaho State. Scott was second on the team in interceptions (2) and recorded a 40-yard interception return for touchdown in the 72-35 victory against Murray State. For the second consecutive season, Coach Stepps’ secondary was led by All-MVFC defensive back C.J. Siegel in 2023. Siegel tied for No. 3 in the MVFC for pass breakups with eight and was third on the team in solo stops with 28. He also recorded a 59-yard interception return in the 49-24 win over No. 6 North Dakota State and recovered a fumble in the 22-21 victory over Illinois State. Devin Hembry also had a breakout season, picking off a pass in the 36-33 overtime win over Indiana State and shutting down a Coyote drive in the red zone with an interception at No. 6 South Dakota late in the season. Aided by the play of All-MVFC defensive back Siegel, the secondary had another successful season in 2022. Siegel finished the year as the No. 5 tackler on the team with 46 tackles, led the team and tied for No. 4 in the MVFC in pass breakups with eight and recorded two interceptions. He also racked up 79 interception return yards to sit No. 3 in the conference, highlighted by a 50-yard pick six in the 27-24 win at Northern Arizona early in the season. The emergence of All-MVFC Newcomer Edmund Ocansey also helped the UND secondary, with him starting the final eight games of the season and finishing No. 3 on the team in pass breakups with three to go with 20 total tackles.   It was another banner year in the secondary for Stepps and his group, finishing third in the conference and 27th in the nation with only 197.4 passing yards allowed per game. The defensive backs also helped the defense end the season third in the MVFC for total defense and fourth in scoring defense. Led by all-conference defensive back Evan Holm, who finished with 45 tackles and two interceptions.  He gained his full battery back in 2020-21 and boasted one of the top secondaries in the MVFC and nation to help the Fighting Hawks reach the FCS quarterfinal for the first time in program history. The starting duo of Holm and Siegel combined for 40 tackles, nine pass breakups, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, and a forced fumble to help the Hawks rank near the top in the nation in turnovers forced. Holm earned MVFC All-Conference honors and Siegel finished with only two allowed completions over 25-yards.  Despite the injury to Holm for most of the year, the defensive backs had another strong year under Stepps in the 2019 campaign. Redshirt freshman Siegel was named as an FCS Freshman All-American after leading all defensive backs in tackles, pass deflections, and interceptions. His 12 passes defensed ranked inside the top-50 among all defensive players in the FCS and cracked the top-10 among rookies. The two interceptions, both coming in a win over No. 12 UC Davis, tied for the team lead and were the first of his career. With the return of Deion Harris to the lineup, the defensive backs were strong for UND in 2018, led by the emergence of Holm. The Edina, Minn., native finished with 46 total tackles, including 35 solo stops, to rank third on the team in both categories. Holm also finished with 10 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a kick return for a touchdown. Harris concluded his strong UND career with 27 total tackles, seven pass breakups, and an interception.  In 2017, Senior Chuck Flowers emerged as one of the team’s top tacklers under Stepps’ guidance, finishing with 72 total tackles in his first season as a starter. Flowers, who also shared the team lead with two interceptions, also helped fill a void in the secondary that saw returning All-Americans Cole Reyes (three games) and Harris (zero games) combine to miss a majority of the campaign.  In his first season as the Fighting Hawks’ defensive backs coach in 2016, Stepps helped Reyes and Harris collect those All-America honors after the duo helped UND record 20 interceptions in 2016 -- a total that tied for second in the FCS. Reyes was also named the FCS ADA Defensive Back of the Year and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, helping a unit rank among the tops in the Big Sky in scoring defense (1st; 22.0 ppg), rush defense (91.3 ypg) and total defense (2nd; 355.2 ypg).  The Fort Scott, Kan., native arrived in Grand Forks following a 12-year stint at Southern Illinois, which included eight seasons under former UND head coach Dale Lennon. Stepps is also familiar with UND head coach Bubba Schweigert, who was the defensive coordinator at SIU for six of those seasons. During his dozen seasons at SIU, Stepps worked with different defensive groups, including the linemen, outside linebackers and defensive backs. Under his watch, 13 SIU players earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors and Craig Turner and Korey Lindsey earned All-America honors.  In 2009, the Saluki defense was second nationally with 23 interceptions. Stepps’ defensive backs also returned 12 interceptions for touchdowns throughout his coaching tenure in Carbondale. Prior to joining the Southern Illinois coaching staff, Stepps spent two seasons on the staff at Washburn University. As a player, he was a two-time All-American defensive back at Pittsburg State. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies and education from Pittsburg State and a master’s degree in sports management from Southern Illinois. Stepps and his wife, Kristina, were married following the 2012 football season.

Jon Anderson is entering his first season at North Dakota in 2025 and will coach the edges on defense. Anderson arrives in Grand Forks after spending the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Old Dominion as the defensive line coach and senior defensive analyst. With the help of his coaching, the Monarchs ranked in the top-half of the Sun Belt in both tackles-for-loss per game (6.3) and sacks per game (2.2) in 2024. He also assisted with all special teams units in both his seasons at Old Dominion. Before coaching at ODU, Anderson compiled a record of 40-17 as the head coach at Sioux Falls from December of 2016 until 2022. Over his six seasons, he led the Cougars to a pair of NCAA Division II playoff appearances (2017, 2019) and coached 45 All-NSIC players and six All-Americans. He also coached Trey Pipkins and Dennis Gardeck, who both reached the NFL. He began his coaching career at Buena Vista in 1999-2000 as the secondary coach. In 2001, he coached the linebackers at Dakota State before moving to Sioux Falls in 2002. He then coached in Sioux Falls for over a decade, serving as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator (2002-09) before being elevated to defensive coordinator (2010-12). He then spent the 2013-16 seasons as the head coach at West Virginia State before moving back to Sioux Falls as the head coach in 2016. Prior to coaching, he played college football for four years at Buena Vista, where he earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education in 2000. He also graduated with a master's degree in sports pedagogy at South Dakota State in 2003.

Keaton Wilkerson was hired as the tight ends coach on Jan. 2, 2025, and will be entering his first season at UND in 2025. He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Washington as a graduate assistant coach for the safeties. With the help of his coaching, the Huskies won the 2023 Pac-12 Championship and reached the College Football Playoffs as the No. 2 seed. In 2024, Washington ranked No. 5 in the FBS in passing yards allowed (166.8). Prior to his time at Washington, Wilkerson spent five seasons (2018-23) with the coaching staff at Wyoming. From 2018-20, he was a student assistant for the wide receivers, cornerbacks and defensive ends before being elevated to the defensive quality control assistant for the defensive ends in 2021. He spent from 2021 until the summer of 2023 as a defensive graduate assistant for the safeties and nickels. During his time with the Cowboys, Wyoming held opponents under 24.0 points per game in all five seasons. Wilkerson graduated from Wyoming in 2020.

Ben Watkins was announced as the linebackers coach at North Dakota on Jan. 2, 2025. Prior to arriving in Grand Forks, Watkins spent five seasons (2020-24) at Fresno State. He coached the linebackers in 2024 and began his tenure with the Bulldogs in 2020 as a special teams quality control assistant. He also spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as a graduate assistant and worked with the linebackers, while also spending the 2023 season as a defensive quality control assistant. In 2024, Watkins coached a pair of All-Mountain West players in Tuasivi Nomura and Malachi Langley. Nomura garnered first team honors with a team-leading 109 tackles, while Langley earned second team honors and was second on the team with 84 tackles on the year. It marked the first time Fresno State had two linebackers named to the all-conference team since 2019. Watkins joined Fresno State after serving as a defensive assistant at Colorado in 2019. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, Watkins was a graduate assistant at Northern State where he coached the outside linebackers and the offensive scout team for two seasons. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at his alma mater Peru State in 2016. While serving as a student assistant, he worked with the inside linebackers, special teams and the offensive scout team. Prior to coaching, Watkins was a four-year letterwinner for the Bobcats. He graduated from Peru State with a bachelor's degree in secondary education in 2017 and earned his master's degree in teaching and learning from Northern State in 2019.

Darnell Duckett was announced as part of the UND football staff on Feb. 21, 2025. He will serve as the General Manager/Director of Player Personnel. He arrives in Grand Forks after spending time with the New York Jets, Washington, Maryland and Salisbury. Most recently, he spent the past year with the Jets as a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellow. His role involved supporting scouts with the day-to-day operations of training camp, aiding in organizing workouts for free agents, scheduling school visits for college scouts, reviewing practice and game footage and preparing scouting reports. He also participated in daily scouting school, writing evaluations, calculating player grades and rankings and team value. Prior to his time in New York, Duckett was a Football Recruiting Analyst/Player Development Assistant for the Washington Huskies from 2022-24. Before that, he was a Football Recruiting Analyst/Operations Assistant at Maryland from 2021-22. He began his coaching career as a wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Salisbury University in Maryland, from 2020-21. Duckett graduated from Salisbury with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and athletic coaching in 2020 and also played wide receiver for the Sea Gulls.

Travis Kahlbaugh serves as the Director of Football Operations for North Dakota Athletics. He oversees the transportation, equipment, lodging and day-to-day operations of the North Dakota football program.   Kahlbaugh is a 2000 graduate of the University of North Dakota with a bachelor's degree in physical education and teaching and learning. Before coming to UND, he spent the previous four years teaching in Grand Forks and Rugby, N.D.   Kahlbaugh's background includes a stint as a player in the AFHL, as well as coaching experience in Grand Forks and Rugby (N.D.).   A native of Grand Forks, Kahlbaugh is a 1996 high school graduate of Grand Forks Central High School.   Kahlbaugh and his wife, Moncia, have a daughter (Kimber).

Gordie Haug will be entering his first season at North Dakota in 2025 and will serve as the assistant head coach, while coaching the tight ends. He was elevated to the team's run game coordinator in Jan. 2026.  Most recently, Haug spent from 2017 to 2024 as the running backs coach and executive director of recruiting at Wyoming. While with the Cowboys, he coached three 1,000-yard rushers and First Team All-Mountain West players in Nico Evans, Xazavian Valladay and Titus Swen. He was also in charge of all aspects of recruiting and oversaw the recruiting department. Prior to serving as the running backs coach and executive director of recruiting, Haug arrived at Wyoming in January of 2014 and served as the recruiting coordinator and director of player personnel until January of 2017. He also spent the 2016 season as the interim wide receiver coach. Previously, Haug was the running backs coach at North Dakota State from 2011 until 2012 and helped lead the Bison to back-to-back national championships. During his time at NDSU, the Bison had an overall record of 29-1 and a Missouri Valley Football Conference mark of 15-1. In each of his two seasons, NDSU had a pair of individuals rush for over 1,000 yards. He got his start in coaching at Bemidji State, where he served as a student assistant coach from 2007-09 before being named the running backs and strength and conditioning coach from 2009-11 and was elevated to the coach of the defensive line and video coordinator from 2011-12. Before coaching, Haug played linebacker at Bemidji State from 2005 until 2007. He earned his bachelor's degree in community health in 2009 and a master's degree in sports science in 2011, both from Bemidji State.