John Stiegelmeier signs contract extension that will keep him at South Dakota State through 2025

Stig is sticking around.

Two days after South Dakota State staged its second straight road win over a seeded team in the FCS playoffs, the Jackrabbits announced they’ve signed longtime head coach John Stiegelmeier to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in charge of the team through 2025.

The deal adds two years to his current five-year contract, which was signed in 2018. Compensation figures were not disclosed, but Stiegelmeier’s current contract pays him $306,000 annually.

Stiegelmeier has been at South Dakota State since 1988, serving a decade as an assistant before taking over as head coach in 1997 and successfully leading them through a transition from Division II to Division I-AA/FCS beginning in 2004. In 25 seasons he’s posted a 184-110 record and taken the Jacks to the playoffs in each of the last 10 seasons. They appeared in the national championship in the spring and are a win away from getting back there this fall. This marks the fourth time in the last five seasons Stiegelmeier has taken the Jacks to the semifinals.

Leader of the Jacks: John Stiegelmeier guides SDSU through 21 years of thick and thin

The Jacks have had only four losing seasons in Stiegelmeier’s tenure, and this year’s 11-3 squad has tied a school record for wins in a season.

"John has created a championship culture in our football program that carries over to all areas of the student-athlete experience," SDSU athletic director Justin Sell said. "The sustained success of Jackrabbit football can be largely attributed to his steady hand in developing and leading young men and coaches of character."

Stiegelmeier, 64, will be 68 when his new deal expires. A Selby native and South Dakota State graduate, he began his coaching career as a student assistant in 1979, then spent a year at Northern Iowa, three years as a high school assistant in Wisconsin and three years as an assistant at Northern State before joining the Jacks as secondary coach in 1988. He became defensive coordinator under Mike Daly three years later and was promoted when Daly stepped down after the 1996 season.

"Laurie and I want to thank President Barry Dunn and Justin Sell for believing in us," Stiegelmeier said. "By extending my contract, we again feel blessed to be part of this great institution and our football program. We look forward to many special years ahead."

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: John Stiegelmeier signs contract extension at South Dakota State