Fall sports teams stride through coaching shuffles

CSC student athletes returning to campus for the upcoming fall sports season will be adjusting to what has been an offseason of change in the coaching staffs of multiple teams. 

In all, nine coaches are either new hires or find themselves in new positions with one of the college’s fall sports teams. That number will become 10 when last year’s cross country head coach Scott Foley is replaced.

Foley recently accepted a job as head cross country coach at Black Hills State University. The departure is a flashback to last season when former head coach Brian Medigovich also resigned in August. 

CSC Athletic Director Joel Smith joked that the number of coaching changes might be abnormal for other programs, but it hasn’t been abnormal for him. 

The bulk of change stems from the departures of Chris Stein and Jeff Larson, former CSC football offensive and defensive coordinators respectively, and Riann Mullis, last year’s head volleyball coach.

Smith said the moves by Larson to head football coach at Mayville State in North Dakota, and by Mullis to the athletic director’s post at Neosho County Community College, Chunte, Kansas, are evidence of the quality of individuals CSC has hired to coach its teams. 

“As much as we’re going to miss (Mullis) and the kids are going to miss her, it’s a great opportunity for her and her family,” Smith said. 

In addition to Mullis leaving the volleyball program, last year’s assistant coach Paula Okrutna also left, leaving both coaching positions open. 

Though Eagle football’s seven coaching changes represent the largest shakeup of any CSC team this season, both Smith and Head Football Coach Jay Long said they believe it’s a change for the better.

“I think our football changes were all really positive and you’re going to see it on the field,” Smith said. “We get some really young dynamic people that look for opportunities and we have a chance to give them an opportunity.”

Eagle football used its departures to promote from within, moving former receivers coach Logan Masters to offensive coordinator and former special teams and defensive backs coach Craig Jersild to defensive coordinator. The team also brought back a familiar face in Clint Sasse who will coach special teams and linebackers. 

Sasse played linebacker for the Eagles from 2009-13 and spent the 2014-15 seasons serving as a CSC coaching assistant. He left the Eagles to become head coach at Lee Williams High in Kingman, Arizona, and had a brief stint as defensive-line coach at Montana Tech, Butte, before returning to his alma mater. 

The team also promoted Bryar DeSanti to assistant coach from his previous position as coaching assistant.

Another familiar face will be former Eagle standout Jake Geil who was hired  as a coaching assistant after graduating in May. The hiring of coaching assistants Luke Bengston and Steven Koch rounded out the staff. 

Mullis’ departure from the volleyball team led to the hiring of new head coach Jennifer Stadler who spent the past eight seasons as the head coach at Sheridan College in Wyoming. 

 “The time she spent in Sheridan and her experience as an assistant at Black Hills (State University), and also playing there, means she understands the league and recruiting area we’re in,” Smith said. 

According to CSC Sports Information, Stadler led the Sheridan College Generals to a Region IX North title match in 2017. She also had three 20-win seasons from 2013-15.

Stadler also boasts an impressive resume of student-athletes who have succeeded as well academically as they have on the court. Her athletes at Sheridan earned 20 Academic All-Region, 13 Academic All-America and a Sheridan College Student of the Year honors, according to CSC Sports Information. 

As she moves from coaching in the National Junior College Athletic Association to NCAA Division II, Smith said he believes the increased resources CSC can provide will help her build on former successes. 

“It’s not by design, but we’ve been really lucky that we’ve gotten junior college coaches that have come here and been successful. It’s not a bad model if it works,” Smith said. 

Joining Stadler will be new assistant coach Kim Davis who comes to CSC as the former head volleyball coach at Hay Springs High School. 

Foley’s departure from the CSC cross country program leaves the athletic department searching for a new head coach less than a month before the start of the 2019 season. 

Last August, Foley was a good fit for CSC, given his familiarity with the RMAC as an assistant coach with Black Hills State and the short amount of time CSC had to find a new head coach. 

“Scott was a really great find for us in a bad situation last year and he did a great job while he was here,” Smith said. 

In a text message Aug. 1, Foley said the decision to resign from CSC was the most difficult of his coaching career. 

Smith said feedback from Eagle cross country runners was that they’d prefer the athletic department take its time and find a good person rather than rush a hire. 

“We’ll take the time we need to do that,” Smith said. “Hopefully, not too long.”