Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Steger joins Football coaching staff
01/06/2010 | 12:00:00 | Football
Jan. 6, 2010
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois head coach Dale Lennon announced Wednesday, Jan. 6, that John Steger has joined the Saluki staff to serve as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Steger brings 22 years of experience as a defensive coordinator to the Saluki staff.
"I'm excited to announce that John Steger is joining our staff as linebacker coach and special teams coordinator," Lennon said. "John has a very impressive resume, which includes being the defensive coordinator of the 2008 Division II National Champions. His experiences will be a good compliment to our current staff."
Steger spent the past 11 seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth and led the Bulldogs to four playoff appearances and the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championship. UMD posted an 86-42 (.672) record with eight winning seasons and four conference championships in Steger's time in Duluth.
"I'm extremely excited about coming to the quality program that SIU has and am looking forward to working for coach Lennon," Steger said. "I'm looking to help build on what Southern Illinois has been able to do in the past seven seasons and am really excited about the opportunity to be able to coach at the Division I level."
By joining the Saluki coaching staff, Steger is reconnecting with Bubba Schweigert. Schweigert, SIU's current associate head coach/defensive coordinator, was the head coach at Minnesota Duluth from 2004-07 and he and Steger led UMD to one league title and two playoff berths in four years together.
Under Steger's skillful watch, UMD's defensive units have constantly ranked among the nations best. In 2009 when he led the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record and the quarterfinals of the playoffs, Minnesota Duluth ranked in the top five nationally in rushing defense (69.1 ypg) and total defense (251.0) while finishing second in scoring defense by only allowing 12.5 points per game.
During the run to the 2008 National Championship, his defense allowed the third fewest points per game and total yards with the second fewest rushing yards per contest in the NCAA II ranks. For his success guiding his defense unit, Steger was named a finalist for the 2008 footballscoop.com NCAA II Coordinator of the Year Award.
Steger's student-athletes have been the direct beneficiaries of his tutelage, as 11 of his defensive players were named to the All-NSIC North Division first team in the past two years. Junior inside linebacker Robbie Aurich was named the 2009 NCC North Division Defensive Player of the Year and the Daktronics Super Regional 3 Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first team AFCA All-American this past year. Russ Rabe also earned all-America status under Steger in 2004, when the defensive end ranked third among NCAA II players in quarterback sacks.
Steger joined the UMD staff in 1999 after being employed the previous 11 years as a defensive coordinator at two NCAA Division III schools. He served a seven-season stint at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1992-98) and spent four years at Sul Ross State (1988-91). Steger's first coaching job was at Sol Ross State where he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach.
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Steger started a pair of seasons at linebacker while attending Loras College (Iowa) and co-captained the Duhawks as a senior in 1984. He lettered three times in two sports -- football and track (sprinter) -- at Dubuque's Wahlert High School and landed All-Mississippi Valley Conference honors following his final prep football season.
Steger, 46, received a B.A. degree in both physical education and business from Loras College in 1985 and a Master's degree in education from Sul Ross State three years later.
