Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County
San Diego State will be looking for a new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after it was announced Sunday evening that Eric Schmidt has been hired as the new head coach at North Dakota. He replaces Bubba Schweigert, who stepped down this week after 11 years in charge.
Schmidt has deep ties to the program. He played four years as a linebacker at North Dakota, then spent eight years there over two stints as an assistant coach.
“I knew from the very first conversation that we had that he wanted to be a head coach someday,” SDSU head coach Sean Lewis said. “This is a unique opportunity for him and his family to go back and to get that first head coaching opportunity at a place that he loves. …
“Hire good people, they do good work and you help them fulfill some career goals. I said thanks, and I wish him nothing but the best. We’ll help him any way that we can.”
Schmidt played at North Dakota from 1998-2001, serving as captain on the 2001 team that won an NCAA Division II national championship. His first college coaching job was as North Dakota linebackers coach during the 2006-07 seasons. Schmidt returned to the school in 2014 and served six seasons as the Fighting Hawks’ defensive coordinator.
“Eric brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record of success and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes on-and-off the field,” North Dakota AD Bill Chaves said in a statement. “I am confident that under his leadership, our football program will continue to build on the foundation that has been laid and compete for championships on both the conference and national stage.”
Schmidt came to SDSU in 2024 after splitting four seasons between first Fresno State and then Washington as special teams coordinator and defensive ends/line coach.
In addition to losing a good coach, Schmidt also takes with him the answer to a good trivia question: What coach has three children named after former U.S. Presidents?
That would be Schmidt and his wife Tiffany, with daughter Kennedy and sons Harrison and Truman.
Lewis said he expects the Aztecs will stay with the 4-2-5 defense that Schmidt installed this season, saying he feels “pretty good about the success that our key players have had in that.”
Asked if Schmidt will take any Aztecs assistant coaches with him, Lewis said: “There’s a possibility. We’ll see how that all shakes out.”
Lewis said he would like to replace Schmidt sooner rather than later, especially with the NCAA transfer portal opening Monday.
“We want to make sure it’s the right person, not necessarily just the fastest,” Lewis said. “Obviously, we need to have some leadership in place for the continued retention of our great players and also as the portal opens up … The game is moving and everyone is going to want to know who their coaches are. We’ve got to be quick but not hurry to make sure we get the right person.”
The new DC could come from within the current staff or be an outside hire. Said Lewis: “We’ll look at any and all avenues to find the right fit.”
Lewis said he is not aware of any other staffers who are interviewing for other opportunities. That includes assistant coach Ryan Lindley, who was retained from the previous staff with a contract that runs through February 2025.
“We’re going to fight like heck to keep him,” Lewis said.
Originally Published:
Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County