| Dakota State Trojans football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1908; 117 years ago (1908) | ||
| Athletic director | Bud Postma | ||
| Head coach | Josh Anderson 16th season, 64–100 (.390) | ||
| Stadium | Brian Kern Family Stadium (capacity: 2,533) | ||
| Location | Madison, South Dakota | ||
| Conference | North Star Athletic Association | ||
| Bowl record | 1–0 (1.000) | ||
| Conference titles |
| ||
| Rivalries | Dakota Wesleyan (Chamber of Commerce Traveling Cup) | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 32 | ||
| Colors | Trojan blue, DSU blue, and gray | ||
| Fight song | DSU Fight Song | ||
| Website | dsuathletics.com | ||
The Dakota State Trojans football team represents Dakota State University, competing as a member of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). During the 2025–26 academic year, the Trojans will be moving to the Frontier Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1908. The Trojans play their home games at Brian Kern Family Stadium. Their current head coach is Josh Anderson.
History
Conference affiliations
- South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (1917–2000)
- Dakota Athletic Conference (2000–2011)
- NAIA independent (2011–2013)
- North Star Athletic Association (2013–2025)
- Frontier Conference (2025–)
Conference championships
Dakota State has won 5 conference championships.
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference | Joel Swisher | 6–3 | 5–0 |
| 1975 | 6–3–1 | 4–1 | ||
| 1976 | 8–2 | 4–1 | ||
| 1977 | Gary Buer | 10–0 | 5–0 | |
| 1978 | 8–2 | 6–0 |
Bowl games
Dakota State has played in one postseason bowl game. The Trojans have an all-time record of 1–0–0 in bowl games.
| Season | Bowl game | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Boot Hill Bowl | Northwestern Oklahoma State | W 23–20 |
Coaches
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name | Alma mater |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach & tight ends | Josh Anderson | North Dakota State University |
| Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks | Logan Levy | University of Maryland, Baltimore County |
| Defensive coordinator & middle linebackers | Anvil Sinsabaugh | Morningside University |
| Defensive backs | Daidrick Kibbie | Dakota State University |
| Offensive line | Deonte Randle | Dakota State University |
| Defensive line | Ryan Ross | Briar Cliff University |
| Wide receivers | Tobin Sharp | |
| Outside lnebackers | Devonte Murphy | |
| Safeties | Brock Swanson | |
| Clifton Marshall | ||
| Mike Trimble | ||
| Cole Cartwright |
Head coaches
| Number | Name | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles C. Wagner | 1910–1923 |
| 2 | George E. Thompson | 1924–1927 |
| 3 | J. Elbridge Curtis | 1928–1930 |
| 4 | Chuck Reynolds | 1933–1941 |
| 5 | Bill Bulfer | 1946–1954 |
| 6 | Neal Tremble | 1955 |
| 7 | Homer Englehorn | 1956–1961 |
| 8 | George Blankley | 1962–1969 |
| 9 | Lee Moran | 1970–1972 |
| 10 | Joel Swisher | 1973–1976 |
| 11 | Gary Buer | 1977–1978 |
| 12 | Tom Shea | 1981–1983 |
| 13 | Al Weisbecker | 1984 |
| 14 | Larry Traetow | 1985–1988 |
| 15 | Gary Roach | 1989–1995 |
| 16 | Scott Hoffman | 1996–1999 |
| 17 | Marc Bergan | 2000–2001 |
| 18 | Gene Wockenfuss | 2002–2003 |
| 19 | Nate Holtz | 2004–2006 |
| 20 | Tom Shea | 2007–2008 |
| 21 | Josh Anderson | 2009–present |
Rivalries
Dakota Wesleyan
Main article: Chamber of Commerce Traveling CupThe Chamber of Commerce Traveling Cup is a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the annual game between the Dakota State Trojans and the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers. The traveling trophy was introduced in 2017. Dakota State currently holds a series lead of 6–1.
Stadiums
- Trojan Field (1968–2022)
- Dan Beacom Track Complex (2023)
- Brian Kern Family Stadium (2024–present)
Individual awards and honors
All-Americans
NAIA
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SDIC honors
All-Conference
- "Ronnie" Best (1930)
- "Art" Johnson (1930)
- "Bud" O'Dell (1930)
- "Red" Olsbo (1930)
- "Buster" Seitz (1955)
- Larry Dirks (1958)
- Bob Nangle (1958)
- John Rath (1958)
- Arlo Sorheim (1959)
- Dick Anderson (1962-63)
- Denny Halseth (1963-64)
- Dick Greenwood (1965-66)
- Loren McKinney (1965-66)
- Tom Petersen (1965-66)
- Gene Elrod (1965-67)
- Paul Tanke (1965-67)
- Dan Meadows (1967)
- Leo Heilman (1969-70)
- Dennis Ziebarth (1969-70)
- Dave Hanneman (1970 and 1972)
- Pat Behrns (1971-72)
- Mike Reed (1971-72)
- Dan Stratton (1971-72)
- Cliff Anderson (1971-73)
- Randy Berlin (1972)
- Darwin Robinson (1972-73)
- Wayne Stowell (1972-73)
- Craig Ebert (1973)
- Deny Lather (1973)
- Mick Twiss (1973)
- Toney Blanks (1973-75)
- Bob Casagrande (1973-75)
- David Roe (1974)
- Jeff Rodman (1974-76)
- Kevin Stormo (1975)
- Bruce Breese (1975)
- Ron Estacion (1975)
- Rick Rodman (1977)
- Mike Freidel (1976-77)
- Russ Schwartz (1977-78)
- Joe Arthur (1978-79)
- Brian Leighton (1978-80)
- Todd Payer (1979)
- Lynn Schuett (1978-79)
- Jim Janssen (1978-79)
- Dale Martin (1979)
- Brian Jacobsen (1980-81)
- Mark Hughes (1982)
- Gene Wockenfuss (1982)
- Clay Amick (1982-83)
- Tim Ramey (1982-83)
- Eugene Tetzlaff (1982-83)
- Rod Kopfman (1982-84)
- Tony Wrice (1982-84)
- Mark Jacobsen (1983-84)
- Bruce Johannes (1983)
- Keith Stifter (1983-84)
- Bryan Lund (1984)
- Mike Thorpe (1984)
- Bill Nelson (1984)
- Sylvester Clark (1984)
- Paul Minor (1984)
- Brian Kern (1986-87)
- Tom Cummings (1989)
- Jeff Rensch (1989-91)
- Earl Berglund (1991-92)
- Dave Colberg (1991-92)
- Mike Katen (1991-92)
- Mike Mason (1991-92)
- Paul Naughton (1991-92)
- Don Simon (1991-93)
- Scott Millett (1991-93)
- Ben Button (1992 and 1994)
- Jason Smidt (1994)
- Tard Smith (1993-95)
- Max Hodgen (1992-95)
- Adam McVane (1994)
- Chad Ostrem (1994)
- Josh Anderson (1994-95)
- Chris Martin (1995)
- Larry Voss (1996-98)
- Derek Bush (1998)
- Steve Eide (1998)
- Jon Knutson (1998)
- Rich Nolte (1998)
- Troy Williamson (1998)
- Kyle Jellema (1998-99)
- Craig Jones (1998-99)
- Jared Peterreins (1998-99)
- Malcom Spaulding (1999)
- Justin Thielke (1999)
- Scot Namanny (1999)
DAC honors
All-Conference
- Jared Peterreins (2000)
- Craig Jones (2000)
- Justin Thielke (2000)
- Scot Namanny (2001)
- Jeremy Javers (2000-01)
- Brad Callahan (2001)
- Mark Maples (2001)
- Paul Lutu-Carroll (2001-02)
- Jesse Zwetzig (2001-02)
- BJ Podhradsky (2001-02)
- Tommy Hofer (2003-05)
- Ben Buisker (2003)
- Mike Sonne (2003-04)
- Tom Nielsen (2003)
- Blake Klinger (2004)
- Art Solis (2005)
- Nick Podhradsky (2005)
- Donald Strand (2005-08)
- Derek Barrios (2005)
- Derek Gosch (2005 and 2007)
- Gaven Davis (2007)
- Toby Ball (2007)
- Noah Sanderson (2007)
- Aaron Aylward (2008)
- Andrew Fatten (2008)
- Austen Hanten (2008)
- T.J. Simmons (2008)
- Ryan Poss (2009)
- Joe Whealy (2009-10)
NSAA honors
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First-team All-NSAA
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Second-team All-NSAA
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Honorable mention All-NSAA
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NFL Players
- Darwin Robinson – Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks
- Danny Stratton – Cleveland Browns
CFL Players
- Tommy Hofer – Toronto Argonauts
References
- "Dakota State University brand manual". Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- "Athletics". dsu.edu. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- DeSmet, Jordan (May 22, 2024). "Dakota State announces move to Frontier Conference". Keloland. Madison, SD. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- Borg, Zach (August 30, 2024). "Dakota State thumps rival Dakota Wesleyan to christen Brian Kern Family Stadium". Dakota News Now. Madison, SD. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- "Josh Anderson". dsuathletics.com. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- Dannelly, Jason (April 27, 2013). "DSU accepts invite to join North Star Athletic Association". Victory Sports Network. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- Dircks, Jackson (May 22, 2024). "Dakota State University joins Frontier Conference". SDPB. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- "Beck Paces Tech Win". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press. November 4, 1973. p. D5. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
.
- "Final SDIC Standings". The Daily Republic. Mitchell, South Dakota. November 3, 1975. p. 9. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- "Tigers Halt Dakota State". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press. November 1, 1976. p. 21. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- Minder, Dean (October 31, 1977). "By toppling DWU—Trojans earn SDIC title". The Daily Republic. Mitchell, South Dakota. p. 11. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- "SDIC Standings Final". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. November 14, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ""The Big Play"". dsu.edu. November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- "2024 Football Coaching Staff". dsuathletics.com. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- Mullins, Garrett (September 5, 2017). "Dakota State Breaks Records, Take Cup In Early Season Affairs". The Trojan Times. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- "Dakota State Plays Final Game at Trojan Field Today". KJAM. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- Huntimer, Nick (September 1, 2023). "Wisconsin-La Crosse hands DSU football home opener setback". dsuathletics.com. Madison, SD. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- Huntimer, Nick (August 28, 2024). "DSU football begins new era at Brian Kern Family Stadium Thursday". dsuathletics.com. Madison, SD. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- "Dakota State University NAIA Men's All-Americans". dsuathletics.com. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- "All-Conference list". dsuathletics.com. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- "Darwin Robinson - Inducted 2021". sdshof.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- "2012 DSU Athletics Hall of Fame". dsuathletics.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- Huntimer, Nick (September 25, 2024). "Tommy Hofer - 2024 DSU Athletics Hall of Fame - Football". dsuathletics.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
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