Eric Schmidt (born September 20, 1978) is an American

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

coach. He is the head football coach at the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...

, a position he had held since the 2025 season.

Playing history

Schmidt played for the Fighting Sioux from 1998 to 2001 and was a captain of the Fighting Sioux's 2001 national championship team. A two-time All-North Central Conference selection, Schmidt earned All-America honors as a senior in 2001. His 10.0 sacks as a senior set a new school record.

Coaching history

Crookston High School

Schmidt led the Pirates to a Section 8AAA runner-up finish in 2004, and one year earlier, led the team to the Minnesota state semifinals. Schmidt was named the 2003 Section 8AAA Coach of the Year. He also coached girls basketball at Crookston and guided the team to a State AA runner-up finish in 2006.

North Dakota

Schmidt returned to North Dakota as the linebackers coach for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He worked under Dale Lennon during that time.

Southern Illinois

Schmidt coached six seasons at

Southern Illinois Southern Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois comprising the southern third of the state, principally south of Interstate 70. Part of downstate Illinois, it is bordered by the two List of U.S. rivers by discharge, most voluminous ri ...

. During that time he coached multiple defensive positions before serving as the special teams coordinator for his final two years.

North Dakota (second stint)

Schmidt helped lead his alma mater to two NCAA Division I FCS playoff berths during his tenure, the initial was a first for the program in 2016, the same season they claimed a Big Sky Championship with a defense that gave up just 91.3 yards rushing per game (sixth-best in the FCS) and collected 20 interceptions (second-best in the FCS). The second was in 2019, following three wins versus ranked opponents en route to a 7–4 campaign that included a 6–0 mark at home. Schmidt had a pair of players in 2019 share All-America distinctions.

Fresno State

Schmidt was at

Fresno State California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 ba ...

for two seasons serving as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. He worked under

Kalen DeBoer Kalen Douglas DeBoer (born October 24, 1974) is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for the University of Alabama, a position he has held since 2024. He also served as the head coach at the Sioux Falls Cougars footba ...

. The two first worked together at Southern Illinois, when DeBoer was offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2010 to 2013. In two seasons at Fresno State, Schmidt was part of a defensive staff that helped coach a unit that made vast statistical improvements in nearly every team defensive category over the 2019 season, the year before his arrival.

Washington

During his time at

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, Schmidt was the special teams coordinator and coached the EDGE defenders. He helped lead the

2023 Washington Huskies football team The 2023 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington as a member of the Pac–12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies were led by Kalen DeBoer in his second and final season a ...

to the College Football Playoff National Championship game versus the University of Michigan.

San Diego State

Schmidt spent one season at

San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is ...

where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. In his one season with the Aztecs, Schmidt coached four players to All-Mountain West honors.

North Dakota (third stint)

Schmidt was announced as the 28th head coach at North Dakota on December 8, 2024. Schmidt will be using a 4–2–5 defensive scheme at North Dakota changing a 3–4 scheme that had been used since the 1990s.

Personal life

Schmidt received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from North Dakota in 2002.

Head coaching record

References

External links

North Dakota coach profile

San Diego State profile

Washington profile

Fresno State profile

Southern Illinois profile

North Dakota player profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Eric 1978 births Living people American football linebackers Fresno State Bulldogs football coaches North Dakota Fighting Hawks football coaches North Dakota Fighting Hawks football players San Diego State Aztecs football coaches Southern Illinois Salukis football coaches Washington Huskies football coaches High school football coaches in Minnesota People from Mandan, North Dakota Coaches of American football from North Dakota Players of American football from North Dakota