FARGO, N.D. – New North Dakota State head football coach Tim Polasek announced two changes on the NDSU defensive coaching staff Thursday, Dec. 21.
Linebackers coach Grant Olson has been named NDSU’s defensive coordinator, and defensive ends coach Nick Goeser has been named co-defensive coordinator.
Olson was the NDSU linebackers coach for five seasons under head coach Matt Entz, and he was also the Bison special teams coordinator in 2023. Olson started his coaching career as a student assistant at NDSU in 2014 during Entz’s first year as defensive coordinator.
An All-America linebacker during his NDSU playing days from 2010 to 2013, Olson went on to coach as a graduate assistant at Wyoming in 2015 and 2016 under Craig Bohl, and he was the linebackers coach at Indiana State in 2017 and 2018 under Curt Mallory.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be the defensive coordinator at NDSU. This program, city and state mean the world to me,” Olson said. “I’m excited to continue the great tradition of Code Green defense and truly believe we have the coaches and players in place to add to our great history.”
Goeser has been at NDSU since 2010 coaching the defensive tackles for 12 seasons before being named defensive line coach in 2022 and defensive ends coach in 2023. He has also spent time as NDSU’s recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator.
Goeser came to Fargo from Minnesota-Duluth, where he was the defensive line and outside linebackers coach from 2007 to 2009 and was part of a Division II national championship with the Bulldogs in 2008. He also coached defensive ends at Augustana College (Ill.) in 2005 and 2006 and defensive line at Marietta College (Ohio) in 2003 and 2004.
“I’m excited to step into this role and help the Bison defense continue to move forward and get back to the dominant defense that we’ve had in the past,” Goeser said. “Code Green needs to play fast, play confident, and play free. Our defensive staff will attack each and every day and prepare to have a great product in 2024.”
Jason Petrino, who was the safeties coach and defensive coordinator for one season in 2023, will not be retained on the Bison coaching staff.
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