University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire Men's Football

Rob Erickson enters his Third year as UW-Eau Claire’s head football coach in 2025. Erickson was hired to lead the program in February of 2023. Erickson joined UW-Eau Claire from South Dakota State University and is the 18th head coach in program history. In his first year at the helm, the Blugolds went 2-8. His head coaching debut saw UW-Eau Claire defeat Concordia College (Minn.) on a game-winning field goal with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Prior to joining the Blugolds, Erickson gained extensive experience in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and at the NCAA Division I FCS level as an assistant coach. He coached in three national championship games at various levels between 2019-2022 and is a two-time WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year. He won an FCS national title with South Dakota State in 2022. Erickson served as special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach for three seasons at South Dakota State. Erickson coached in two FCS national championship games, helping the Jackrabbits win the 2022 national title and earn a runner-up finish in the spring of 2021. Prior to his time at South Dakota State, Erickson was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at UW-Whitewater for five seasons. In his final year with the Warhawks, Erickson’s defense helped the program reach the 2019 national championship game. He helped coach UW-Whitewater to the national semifinals three times and the national quarterfinals four times. Erickson was named the WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016. He coached 11 All-Americans and 16 All-Region players with the Warhawks. Erickson helped push UW-Platteville – his alma mater – into the upper echelon nationally from 2008-2014 as the Pioneers’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator. The team went 2-8 in the season prior to Erickson’s arrival, and his defense elevated the program to a top 10 national ranking and the second round of the NCAA playoffs just a few years later in 2013. In his seven years with UW-Platteville, the Pioneers tallied five shutouts and held 21 opponents to single digits in scoring. Erickson received WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2011. He also had stints as defensive coordinator at Aurora University (2005-07) and UW-Stevens Point (2003-04). Erickson played collegiately at UW-Platteville from 1996-99. He was a four-year starter at cornerback for the Pioneers. The Junction City, Wisconsin native and his wife Kelly have three children – Maya, Jared, and Kami.

Carl " Oz" Reinholz begins his first year at UW-Eau Claire as the Blugolds' linebackers coach in 2026.   Prior to moving to Eau Claire, Reinholz served as Tongue River High School's Special Teams Coordinator in Dayton, Wyoming for the 2025 season. Before working with the Eagles, Reinholz spent 11 years at the University of North Dakota working with the Fighting Hawks and their linebackers. During his time at UND, Oz coached three All-Americans, multiple MVFC All-Conference recipients, and the MVFC Newcomer of the Year in 2020. Under his lead, the linebacker groups led the North Dakota defense in tackles for nine seasons.    "I am extremely excited about having Coach Reinholz join our staff," Erickson said. "He has over 10 years of linebacker and special teams coaching experience at the division one level. His confidence, deep understanding of the position group, and our defensive system overall will allow our linebackers to flourish."   As a player, Reinholz attended Minot State University where he was a four-year letterwinner and helped the Beavers to NAIA playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009.   Coach Reinholz graduated from the Minot State University with a bachelor's degree in corporate finance and currently lives in Eau Claire with his dog, Gus. 

Harrison Tsimouris enters his Third year at UW-Eau Claire as the Blugolds’ Running Backs Coach in 2025. Tsimouris joined the Blugold football staff after coaching for three years at Southwest Minnesota State University as a running backs and tight ends graduate assistant coach. During his time with the Mustangs, Harrison helped the SMSU offense rank fourth in the NSIC in rushing yards and improved team rushing totals in 2021 and 2022. He also coached the NSIC’s leading rusher, Jessie Sherwood, who was named all-conference and a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist. Prior to his days in Marshall, Minnesota, Tsimouris worked as a film and data analyst at Atavus Football where he graded top NFL draft prospects from Notre Dame, LSU, Ohio State, and Oregon analyzing tackle performance, safety, and overall effectiveness. Before Atavus, Harrison coached at the University of St. Francis as the Fighting Saints’ offensive line and assistant running backs coach for one season. Harrison’s other coaching ventures include work with the Cedar Rapids River Kings, Lone Tree Community School District, Bloomington Edge Indoor Football, and the University of Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa.

Brady Grayvold enters his Third year at UW-Eau Claire as the Defensive Coordinator for Blugold Football in 2025. Grayvold joins the Blugold staff after coaching at the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) for three years. As the Tommies' defensive line coach, Grayvold helped the 2022 team to a 10-1 record, a Pioneer League Championship, and top-20 rankings in the AFCA and CFB Network polls. The Tommie defense led the Pioneer League in more than ten statistical categories. On a national scale, St. Thomas ranked in the top five of all FCS teams in fewest points allowed and rushing yards. They also were in the top 10 for sacks, tackles for a loss, blocked kicks, and fewest yards allowed. In 2021, the brand new Division I program led their conference in 15-plus defensive categories and led the FCS in takeaways and interceptions. Grayvold was selected to attend the 2020 AFCA 35 Under-35 Coaches Leadership Institute, which is a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession. Before St. Thomas, Grayvold was the head football coach at Fort Atkinson, Wis., High and an assistant at Sun Prairie, Wis., HS, where helped Sun Prairie reach the 2017 state championship game. A native of Norway, Michigan, Grayvold graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in Secondary Education Social Studies. Playing his college football at UW-Whitewater, Grayvold was a two-time national champion, a Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete award winner, a Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist as Division III football's top player and citizen. Grayvold was also a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award as college football's top defensive back, was a first-team Division III All-American in 2014, was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame’s William V. Campbell Trophy, and earned membership to the NFF's Hampshire Honor Society for athletic and academic excellence. Grayvold still holds multiple UW-Whitewater records during his time in the backfield.

Phil Ockinga was hired as Blugold Football's Offensive Coordinator in April of 2026. Ockinga comes to Eau Claire after spending four seasons as the head coach and offensive coordinator at Peru State College. During his time with Bobcats, Peru State saw a shift in competitiveness as Ockinga held an overall record of 24-19.    In addition to his time at Peru State, Ockinga holds more than 20 years of coaching experience with experience ranging from NAIA all the way up to NCAA DI FBS. Prior to Peru State, Phil spent five seasons with the University of South Dakota where he originally served as the Running Backs Coach/Special Teams Coordinator in 2016 before he moved up to Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach from 2019-2021. The Coyotes made the 2021 FCS playoffs for the second time in school history.      Before South Dakota, Ockinga held positions at Western Illinois and Hutchinison Community College where he helped the Leathernecks to the second round of the FCS playoffs and coached one of the top teams in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference with the Blue Dragons.    Ockinga’s stint at the FBS level was at Florida International from 2009-2012. He coached the defensive ends in 2009 as a graduate assistant. In 2010 he coached the defensive backs as a graduate assistant. Ockinga helped the Panthers to their first bowl game, winning the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl over Toledo. They were the number one in total defense, scoring defense and passing efficiency in the Sun Belt Conference. During his years of coaching, Phil has coached 15 players in the NFL most notably Alvin Kamara.  Ockinga earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Hastings College after transferring from the University of Wyoming where he began his career as a football player. In addition to his bachelor's degree, Ockinga earned his master's in health and human performance from Fort Hays State.  Ockinga resides in Eau Claire with his wife Kelsie and their four children – Miles, Blaise, Claire, and Ellie. 

Michael McHugh begins his Tenth season as the recruiting, offensive line, and run game coordinator for Blugold Football in 2025. As the recruiting coordinator, McHugh manages all aspects of prospective student campus visits and is responsible for the all recruitment efforts in the state of Illinois. In addition to coordinating the offensive run game, including scouting, installation and game planning, McHugh also coordinates the extra points/field goal unit and oversees the academic progress of all student-athletes on the offensive line. McHugh came from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and also serves as the Blugolds' offensive line coach. While at Duluth, McHugh served as the Bulldogs' tight end coach and was a part of both coaching staffs that produced both of Duluth's two NCAA Division II national championship teams in 2008 and 2010.  In addition to coaching at UMD, McHugh has coached at Carleton College, Concordia University-St. Paul, Eureka College and Loras College. The Illinois native played on the offensive line at Loras before starting his coaching career as a student assistant in 2007. McHugh was the recruiting coordinator and oversaw kickoff returns and the extra point/field goal units at both Carleton and Concordia. At Carleton and Eureka, he was also the offensive coordinator and while at Concordia, he served as the offensive line coach for a season and offensive backs coach the season prior. McHugh earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science along with a minor in coaching from Loras in the spring of 2007 and later earned a master’s degree in education at UMD. He and his wife, Amy, have two sons, Callan and Hayes.