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John Stiegelmeier

John Stiegelmeier, the winningest football coach in South Dakota State history, built the Jackrabbit program into a yearly contender within the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Football Championship Subdivision, culminating with a national title during his final season in 2022.
 
Overall, Stiegelmeier led the Jackrabbits to a 199-112 record (.640 winning percentage) in 26 seasons. With Coach Stig at the helm, SDSU reached the FCS playoffs 12 times (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2021, 2022) and is one of only two FCS programs to reach the postseason each of the past 11 seasons. The Jackrabbits won playoff contests in nine of its playoff seasons and finished in the top 25 of both major FCS polls in 14 of the last 17 years, including a No. 1 ranking at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.
 
Stiegelmeier’s 84 victories in MVFC play and his 131 overall wins since joining the league in 2008 both rank second among all-time league coaches. SDSU has never had a losing record in MVFC play in the 15 seasons it has played in what has proven to be the toughest FCS conference, making it the only program with that distinction.
 
South Dakota State reached the pinnacle of the Football Championship Subdivision during the 2022 season. Following a season-opening, 7-3 loss at Iowa, the Jackrabbits reeled off a school-record 14 consecutive victories. That included a perfect 8-0 mark against Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents as the Jackrabbits went undefeated in league play.
 
SDSU took over the top spot in the national polls for the first time in program history following a 23-21 come-from-behind victory at archrival and defending national champion North Dakota State on Oct. 15, 2022. The Jackrabbits would not relinquish the No. 1 ranking and earned the top seed — and home-field advantage — for the FCS playoffs.
 
In postseason play, the Jackrabbits defeated each of their four opponents by at least three touchdowns, outscoring the opposition by a 168-66 margin. SDSU avenged a playoff loss the previous season to Montana State with a 39-18 victory in the national semifinals. Three weeks later, the Jackrabbits dethroned North Dakota State with a 45-24 victory in Frisco, Texas, to win SDSU’s first team national championship in any sport at the Division I level.
 
Stiegelmeier was honored with numerous times during the 2022 season, highlighted by being named by Stats Perform as the recipient of the Eddie Robinson Award as the top coach in the Football Championship Subdivision, as well as the FCS Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. In addition, Stiegelmeier was honored as the Bruce Craddock MVFC Coach of the Year for the second time and was an AFCA FCS Regional Coach of the Year.

The Jackrabbits made their first FCS national title game appearance in Frisco, Texas, during the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season. SDSU entered the 16-team spring playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed and reeled off three consecutive home victories before falling in the closing seconds of the national championship game to Sam Houston, 23-21.

SDSU earned the top overall seed after winning a share of its second MVFC title — and first since 2016 — with a 5-1 mark during an abbreviated spring season. After splitting the first two games of the year in February, the Jackrabbits closed the conference-only slate with four consecutive wins, including a 27-17 victory in the regular season finale at North Dakota State.

The Jackrabbits nearly repeated that success seven months later as they again advanced to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs. SDSU opened with a home victory over UC Davis in the first round before recording road wins at fourth-seeded Sacramento State and No. 5 Villanova to make their fourth national semifinal appearance in the last five seasons. The Jacks tied a then-school record with their 11 victories.

Other highlights during the 2021 season included a season-opening, 42-23 victory at Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Colorado State and retaining the Dakota Marker with a 27-19 home win over second-ranked North Dakota State.

The Jackrabbits previously reached new heights in 2017 by setting a single-season school record with 11 victories and reaching the FCS semifinals for the first time. The Jackrabbits tied for second place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 6-2 record and defeated eventual national champion North Dakota State for the second year in a row to retain the Dakota Marker. SDSU hosted — and won — two playoff games after being seeded fifth in the 24-team field.
 
SDSU ended the 2017 campaign third in the STATS FCS media poll and fourth in the FCS coaches’ rankings. Five Jackrabbits received All-America recognition, highlighted by unanimous selection Dallas Goedert at tight end.
 
The Jackrabbits repeated much of the same success in 2018, posting 10 victories en route to a second consecutive FCS semifinal appearance. SDSU was ranked in the top 10 all season, climbing as high as No. 2 in the STATS FCS media poll for two weeks. The Jackrabbits ended the season with third-place rankings in both the media and coaches’ polls for their highest-ever final rankings.
 
A program-best six Jackrabbits received All-America recognition in 2018.

During the 2019 season, SDSU continued to rank among the FCS elite, maintaining a top-five ranking for much of the campaign. The Jackrabbits earned the No. 7 seed in the FCS playoffs before ending the year with an 8-5 overall record.
 
The 2016 Bruce Craddock Missouri Valley Football Conference Coach of the Year, Stiegelmeier led the Jackrabbits to their first league title that season, finishing with a 7-1 record in league play and earning a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs.
 
Stiegelmeier passed Ralph Ginn (113-89-9 record from 1947-68) atop the Jackrabbit career victories list on Sept. 20, 2014, when the Jackrabbits defeated Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 41-3, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. Coach Stig also was presented with the Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence, which is presented annually to an SDSU alumnus, by his alma mater during the 2014 season.
 
Under Stiegelmeier’s leadership, SDSU posted 17 winning seasons in the school’s 19 campaigns at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level, compiling a 157-79 record (.665 winning percentage) since moving to the FCS ranks in 2004. Overall, the Jackrabbits had a winning record in 22 of Stiegelmeier’s 26 years as head coach, and posted an 84-34 record (.712 winning percentage) in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
 
After consecutive 5-6 overall seasons in 2010 and 2011, the Jackrabbits rebounded in 2012 with their second postseason appearance in four years. SDSU finished the 2012 campaign with a 9-4 overall record, tying the single-season school record for wins. The Jackrabbits also hosted — and won — their first-ever playoff game, defeating Eastern Illinois, 58-10, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. SDSU was later eliminated by eventual national champion North Dakota State. In 2012, the Jackrabbits were ranked seven of the final eight weeks of the season and ended the campaign ranked 14th in the Sports Network media poll.

In 2013, the Jackrabbits reached the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. Despite being ranked in the preseason top 10, the Jackrabbits found themselves with a 4-4 record entering the final month of the season. SDSU responded, however, reeling off four consecutive wins in MVFC play to again earn an at-large berth in the FCS playoffs.
 
SDSU opened the 2013 playoffs with a dominant defensive performance, posting a 26-7 road win at No. 8 Northern Arizona, before falling 41-17 at third-ranked Eastern Washington a week later. The Jackrabbits again tied the school record for wins, finishing with a 9-5 overall mark, and ending up 13th in the Sports Network media poll and 14th in the FCS Coaches Poll.
 
A surge in the final month of the 2014 season vaulted the Jackrabbits into the FCS playoffs for the third season in a row. SDSU won its final three regular season games to earn an at-large berth and extended its winning streak to four with a 47-40 victory in the cold and snow at Montana State in the FCS opening round.
 
In second-round action, SDSU appeared on the verge of knocking off three-time defending national champion North Dakota State, taking a lead late in the fourth quarter. However, the Bison scored a touchdown in the final minute to escape with a 27-24 win. The Jackrabbits would end the season ranked 12th in the Sports Network media poll and 13th by the FCS coaches.
 
SDSU’s march to its fourth consecutive postseason berth began with the program’s first-ever win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent at the Division I level in the 2015 season opener at Kansas. The 41-38 victory helped propel the Jackrabbits to an undefeated non-conference slate and the program’s then-highest ranking in an FCS poll at fifth in the STATS media poll.
 
A three-game winning streak to start the second half of the league season, which included a 25-20 victory over second-ranked Illinois State, secured another postseason berth. However, injuries took their toll late in the season as SDSU dropped the regular season finale in double overtime at Western Illinois and a late comeback in the FCS playoff matchup at Montana came up short, ending the Jackrabbits’ 2015 campaign with an 8-4 overall record and respective national rankings of 15th and 16th in the STATS media and FCS coaches’ polls.
 
The 2016 season brought a move to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and with it the Jackrabbits' first MVFC title. SDSU opened the league slate with four consecutive wins, including a last-second, 19-17 road win at top-ranked North Dakota State. After falling at Illinois State in late October, the Jackrabbits won their final three conference games to earn the MVFC’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, which included a first-round bye.
 
Eighth-seeded SDSU opened the postseason with a 10-7 victory over Villanova to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Jackrabbits’ season came to a close in the quarterfinals with a loss in a rematch at North Dakota State. SDSU ended the 2016 campaign ranked sixth in the STATS media poll and seventh in the FCS Coaches’ Poll.
 
The Jackrabbits made their first FCS playoff appearance and the program’s first postseason appearance in 30 years during the 2009 season. The Jackrabbits finished as runner-up in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 7-1 record and finished the season 8-4 overall. SDSU led for much of its playoff game at top-seeded Montana, before falling 61-48 to the eventual national runner-up Grizzlies. Ranked for the entire season, including appearing in the top 10 for two weeks, the Jackrabbits finished the 2009 campaign with an 11th-place showing in both major polls.

In 2008, the Jackrabbits entered another new era in their Division I pursuits as they joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference. With the transition from Division II completed, SDSU fell just short of a playoff berth in its first season of eligibility, ending the year with a 7-5 overall record and  6-2 mark in the MVFC. Of SDSU’s five losses, four came against ranked FCS opponents, including conference co-champions Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois. The team’s other loss was at the hands of Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Iowa State in the season opener. That game marked the first time the Jackrabbits had played an FBS opponent since moving to Division I at the start of the 2004 season.
 
The Jackrabbits continued to move up the rankings at the FCS level during the 2008 season, reaching the 12th spot in the Sports Network poll after opening league play with home victories over No. 14 Youngstown State and No. 15 Western Illinois in back-to-back weeks. In all, SDSU was ranked seven weeks that season.
 
Under Stiegelmeier’s guidance, SDSU has appeared in the FCS rankings 15 of the last 16 seasons and have a streak of more than 100 consecutive weeks in the STATS FCS media poll through the end of the 2022 season. The Jacks cracked a national poll for the first time in October 2006, after posting back-to-back come-from-behind victories over Cal Poly and UC Davis. The Jackrabbits finished the 2006 season ranked 22nd by the Sports Network.
 
During the 2007 season, SDSU claimed its first conference title since 1963 by winning the Great West Football Conference championship. After an 0-3 start, SDSU reeled off seven wins in its final eight games, including a 29-24 victory over previously undefeated North Dakota State the final week of the season, to claim the GWFC title with a 7-4 overall record and 4-0 mark in league play.
 
In leading SDSU to the GWFC title, Stiegelmeier was named conference coach of the year and was honored by the American Football Coaches Association as the FCS Region 5 Coach of the Year. In addition, he was named as one of five finalists in the FCS for the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.
 
After posting back-to-back 6-5 seasons in 2004 and 2005 to begin their Division I pursuits, the Jackrabbits rose another notch in 2006 as they compiled a 7-4 overall record, finishing the season ranked 21st in the final FCS poll conducted by The Sports Network. Following an 0-3 start, the Jacks rebounded by winning seven games in a row for the first time since 1963. Three of the victories came in the closing minutes against nationally ranked teams.
 
In addition to achieving success on the field, Stiegelmeier’s teams have excelled in the classroom. SDSU has earned the Missouri Valley Football Conference Team Academic Award nine times since joining the league in 2008. The Jackrabbits have consistently led their conference in the number of individual all-academic awards, with football student-athletes accounting for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors 27 times during Stiegelmeier’s tenure, including first-team honorees Dalton Cox and Wes Genant in 2018.
 
Stiegelmeier, 66, was the 20th head coach for the Jackrabbits. His tenure of 26 years as head coach is the longest head coaching stint for football in school history.
 
The Selby, South Dakota, native first became acquainted with the Jackrabbit football program as a student assistant under John Gregory during SDSU’s only NCAA Division II playoff season in 1979. After graduating from SDSU with degrees in mathematics and physical education, Stiegelmeier enrolled in graduate school at the University of Northern Iowa, where he served on the coaching staff of a Panther squad which posted a 7-4 mark in 1981.
 
Stiegelmeier coached at Eau Claire (Wis.) North High School from 1981-84, then returned to his home state as defensive coordinator, secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern State from 1984-87.
 
Stiegelmeier returned to his alma mater in July 1988, joining Wayne Haensel’s SDSU coaching staff as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator. After Haensel stepped down following the 1990 season, Stiegelmeier was elevated to defensive coordinator by new head coach Mike Daly.
 
In six seasons as defensive coordinator, Stiegelmeier helped guide the Jackrabbits to a 41-23 record. SDSU turned in a winning record all six seasons, including five seven-win seasons. That track record of success helped Stiegelmeier secure his first collegiate head coaching position in December 1996, when he was named Daly’s successor.
 
The Stiegelmeier era opened in style Sept. 13, 1997, as the Jackrabbits recorded a 17-7 victory at UC Davis. Although SDSU finished Stiegelmeier’s first season with a 4-6 record, the foundation was laid for future success. The Jackrabbits posted a 6-5 record during the 1998 season and broke through with an 8-3 overall mark and a 6-3, fourth-place showing in the North Central Conference.
 
Led by Harlon Hill Award candidate Josh Ranek, SDSU posted its most victories in 20 years in 1999 and was ranked 15th in the final NCAA Division II regular season poll, despite being picked sixth in the NCC race by both the coaches and media. He was named North Central Conference Coach of the Year in 1999.
 
SDSU went on to post upper-division finishes in the NCC three of its last four years before moving into the ranks of Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) in 2004.
 
Aside from coaching, Stiegelmeier is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving on the state board of directors and as the organization’s SDSU faculty representative. He was presented with the organization’s Grant Teaff Award in 2016.
 
Stiegelmeier was further honored for his community service in 2019 as a Barefoot Coach of the Year honoree by Samaritan’s Feet International. 
 

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