South Dakota Coyotes Promote Defensive Coordinator to Head Coach

University of South Dakota chooses continuity over national search in second straight coaching change

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The University of South Dakota has promoted defensive coordinator Matt Vitzthum to head coach of the Coyotes football team, the second time in as many years the school has opted for an internal hire rather than conducting a national search. Athletic Director Jon Schemmel cited the need for continuity and preserving the program's winning culture as key factors in the decision.

Why it matters

In an era of high coaching turnover in college football, USD's approach of promoting from within provides stability for the program and its players. While there are risks to hiring first-time head coaches, Schemmel believes maintaining the existing culture and relationships is more important for sustaining the Coyotes' recent success as a perennial FCS contender.

The details

When longtime Coyotes head coach Bob Nielson stepped down after the 2024 season, USD promoted defensive coordinator Travis Johansen to the top job. After just one season, Johansen left for a coordinator role at Rutgers, prompting another quick hire. This time, Schemmel again turned to an internal candidate, elevating Vitzthum, who had served as the team's defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.

  • On January 16, 2025, the news broke that Bob Nielson was stepping down as USD's head coach.
  • On February 6, 2026, it was announced that Travis Johansen was leaving USD to become defensive coordinator at Rutgers.

The players

Jon Schemmel

The athletic director at the University of South Dakota who has overseen the past two coaching changes for the Coyotes football program.

Travis Johansen

The former defensive coordinator at USD who was promoted to head coach in 2025, but left after one season to take a coordinator job at Rutgers.

Matt Vitzthum

The new head coach of the University of South Dakota Coyotes football team, promoted from his previous role as defensive coordinator.

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What they’re saying

“If there's an answer within your staff, you always want to go that route. In today's day and age, the continuity within your roster, continuity of a championship culture, that's where you want to go to keep sustaining the success that we have had here.”

— Jon Schemmel, Athletic Director, University of South Dakota (yahoo.com)

“I think it shows what we have here. They've built, and we've built something bigger than one or two people, or a head coach, or a strength coach or a quarterback, whatever the case may be. It's about a group and a collection of people on the same page to try to achieve the same thing. And when you stay in-house, you're also saying that we have the belief that we know where things are going and we want to continue to go that way.”

— Matt Vitzthum, Head Coach, University of South Dakota (yahoo.com)

What’s next

The University of South Dakota will look to continue its success under new head coach Matt Vitzthum, who will aim to build on the program's recent run as a perennial FCS contender.

The takeaway

USD's approach of promoting from within for consecutive coaching changes highlights the value of continuity in college football, especially at the FCS level. While there are risks to hiring first-time head coaches, the Coyotes have prioritized preserving the program's winning culture and player relationships over seeking a potential spark from a national search.