BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Football has made several changes in the off season, most notably with the addition of five new faces to the coaching staff. Brent Bolte is set to lead the Beavers into his 10^th season at the helm with Jordan Hein, Shevin Smith Jr. and Greg Bower serving as coordinators. 
 
The Returners
Brent Bolte
Head Coach
10^th season | 26^th overall
The 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year is back for his 10^th season at the helm of Beaver Football. In his time with the Beavers, he has coached some of the winningest teams in program history, 60 All-Americans, 7 Academic All-Americans, the team's first CFL draftee, Dhel Duncan-Busby, and an NFL All-Pro selection, Gunner Olszewski. Bolte is the first coach in Beaver Football history to lead the team to the NCAA post season, doing so for four years in a row from 2021-2024. This run included four-straight appearances in the second round of playoffs and concluded with a trip to the quarterfinals in 2024. He currently sits at the program's best winning percentage of .694 with a 75-33 overall record. 
 
Bolte's coaching resume also includes:
162 NSIC All-Academic Awards
68 D2ADA Academic Achievement Awards
64 All-NSIC First Teamers
49 All-NSIC Second Teamers
46 All-Region Selections
28 CSC Academic All-District Selections
17 All-NSIC Honorable Mentions
9 NFF Hampshire Honor Society Members
8 NSIC Myles Brand
3 NSIC Players of the Year
3 Harlon Hill Semifinalist – Jordan Hein and Brandon Alt (2)
2 Harlon Hill Finalist Selections – Brandon Alt
2 Glen Galligan Awards – Jake Krause and Bill Ketola  
2 Gene Upshaw Linemen of the Year Finalists – Ty Cobb and Jake Gannon
1 Rimington Trophy – Jake Gannon
 
Jordan Hein
Offensive Coordinator | Quarterbacks
2^nd season | 7^th overall
Jordan Hein will enter his seventh season overall and second as Offensive Coordinator on the Beaver Football coaching staff in 2026. He became the Special Teams Coordinator in 2021 and coached with the Beavers until the spring of 2024 before heading to Northern State University to start his offensive coordinator journey. Under Hein's leadership last season, Beaver quarterbacks averaged 178.82 passing yards per game with a 60.27 completion percentage. 
 
Shevin Smith Jr.
Co-Defensive Coordinator | Co-Special Teams Coordinator | Corners
2^nd season
Shevin Smith Jr. enters his second season on the Beaver coaching staff, adding Co-Defensive Coordinator to his list of responsibilities this year. In his first season at Bemidji State, Smith helped coach the Beaver's special teams unit to average 40.48 yards per punt, 57.1 yards per kickoff and a field-goal percentage of 71.43. On the returns side, the Beavers averaged 8.25 yards on punt while holding opponents to just over six yards. On the kickoff, BSU averaged 16.37 return yards with then senior Drayton Lehman leading the way with 31 yards per return. 
 
Brandon Labath
Offensive Line
2^nd season | 4^th overall
Brandon Labath rejoined the Beaver offense last season after spending two seasons at the University of St. Thomas. In his first season back, Labath helped coach three offensive linemen to All-NSIC honors with one, Isaac Hagstrom, earning a first team nod. The Beaver offensive line helped rushers reach 93 first downs with 1978 total rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. They also allowed Beaver quarterbacks enough time behind the line to throw for 1967 yards and 17 touchdowns. BSU averaged 358.6 yards of total offense per game and 5.9 yards per play.
 
Brady Bartz
Tight Ends | Fullbacks
3^rd season
Entering the Beaver coaching staff directly after playing in the Green & White from 2018-2023, Brady Bartz now enters his third season as tight ends and fullbacks coach. Under his leadership, Eli Pfeiffer earned a 2024 D2ADA Academic Achievement Award. Pfeiffer, along with graduate student Sam Kanne, were also named NSIC All-Academic Award winners. 
 
Ivory Kelly-Martin
Running Backs
2^nd season
Ivory Kelly-Martin enters his second season with the Beavers in 2026. The Beaver offense was dominated by Kelly-Martin's running backs last season, with 1848 offensive yards created by the running backs' room. The Beaver rushers added 11 touchdowns, out of the team's 20 on the ground, and averaged 5.63 yards per carry. Through his efforts on the ground, quarterback Connor Carver was classified as a running back in all-conference voting, earning himself a second-team nod.  
 
The Newcomers
Greg Bower
Co-Special Teams Coordinator | Safeties
Joining the Beavers this past spring, Greg Bower is no stranger to the NSIC and coaching world. Bower began his coaching career in 1993 as a graduate assistant and linebacker coach at Loras College. From Loras, Bower moved to Northern Illinois University, University of Wisconsin-River Falls and University of Minnesota Duluth before ending up back at Loras College in 2018. In his most recent stint at Loras, Bower served as the Defensive Coordinator and secondary coach from 2018-2025, recruiting northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Phoenix, Ariz. He also worked as the Academic Coordinator for the team. 
 
Trevor Munson
Wide Receivers
Also joining the Beavers this spring was Trevor Munson who will serve as the team's wide receivers coach. Munson spent the 2025 season focused on defensive quality control at Eastern Michigan University where he assisted with the safeties and defensive ends. Prior to EMU, Munson served as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska at Kearney from January 2023-May 2025 after two seasons at wide receiver on the Loper roster. He earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and Sport Sciences at UNK. 
 
Chance Bowen
Defensive Ends
Chance Bowen joins the Beavers after spending entering the coaching world in January 2023 at his alma mater, Minnesota State University Mankato. The former Maverick spent the 2025 season as MSU's corners coach following stints coaching the defensive line. Prior to leaving MSU, Bowen was a force on the Maverick roster, earning second-team All-American and All-NSIC honors as a sophomore. He finished his career with 62 total tackles, including 20 tackles for a loss of 139 total yards and 16.5 sacks for 120 yards. Bowen holds a masters and bachelors degree in sport management from MSU. 
 
Max Buduris
Nickels
A two-time All-NSIC selection for the Beavers in 2022 and 2023, Max Buduris is set to rejoin the Beavers in 2026, this time as nickels coach. Buduris played linebacker for the Green & White from 2019-2023, finishing his career with 151 total tackles, 97 solo, 20.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, an interception and 14 passes broken up. More recently, Buduris has served as the Providence Christian Academy Defensive Backs Coach. At PCA, Buduris coached five All-region defensive backs. He holds a bachelors degree in exercise science from BSU, as well as a masters degree in the same field from Liberty University. 
 
Jacob Surdy
Defensive Tackles
Jacob Surdy joins the Beavers after starting his coaching career in Texas in 2023. Following his graduation from Baylor University's political science program, where he also served as a student manager, Surdy served as the defensive line graduate assistant for Sam Houston State University from June 2023 until May 2025. From there, Surdy became an assistant defensive backs coach and defensive analyst for Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. He is currently enrolled in Sam Houston State's childhood education masters program. 
 
The Beavers kick off the 100^th anniversary season on August 27 at Chet Anderson Stadium. With a new artificial turf playing surface being installed now, the Beavers will be set to host the Michigan Technological University Huskies at 6 p.m. for the annual Shrine Game. More information on the season opener will be available in August. Season tickets are on sale now through this link and single-game tickets can be found here. 
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Football program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversFB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversFB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).