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Mar. 4—BROOKINGS — South Dakota State took the field for the first practice of the spring season dark and early Tuesday morning at the SJAC, and new faces were everywhere.
Gone is the entire coaching staff from last year, having migrated to Washington State under Jimmy Rogers, and a slew of veteran players have moved on, too, either by graduation or the transfer portal.
And yet, with a whole new staff and only a smattering of returning starters, things felt….familiar.
The vibe was relaxed and positive. The new coaches looked and sounded comfortable in their surroundings.
Returning players took it upon themselves to lead individual drills and help newcomers in team sessions.
Meanwhile head coach Dan Jackson got his steps in jogging from station to station, mostly observing. This is his first time as a head coach, and he admitted he’s still figuring out what to do with himself during practice now that he no longer has a specific position group to lead.
But if the first day is any indication, any concerns about losing the culture built by John Stiegelmeier and maintained by Rogers should soon be alleviated.
“The culture is everything here, and I want to take it further than it’s been,” said Jackson, a longtime assistant under Stiegelmeier who was most recently the defensive coordinator at Idaho. “There’s one standard around this place and we’re not gonna let it slip. The guys have taken a ton of pride in that and the staff has, too.”
Practice started at 6 a.m., which Jackson admitted is not ideal, but with classes and SJAC availability their hands are tied for now. The players didn’t seem to mind the early start, but as a few coaches noted, being fired up and ready to go at 6 a.m. on the opening day of practice is one thing; maintaining that enthusiasm for 15 practices is another.
The offense, led by quarterback Chase…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/sdsu-football-reports-spring-practice-004700037.html
Author : The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Publish date : 2025-03-05 00:47:00
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