Bemidji State University

2021 NSIC Coach of the Year

After becoming the 16th head coach of Bemidji State Football in July 2017, Brent Bolte’s “Blue Collar” mentality led the program to heights never before seen. A historic 2021 season set a new program standard after Beaver Football qualified for its first-ever NCAA Postseason Tournament and brought home a 28-24 road win in the opening round. Bolte continued to push the program to new heights in 2022 as the Beavers again reached 10 victories for the second straight season and reached the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. In his eight seasons guiding the program, Bemidji State has won at least eight games in seven seasons, winning 10 games in 2021, 2022 and 2024. 

Beginning his ninth season (10th year) as head coach and 25th overall on BSU’s coaching staff, Bolte has already accumulated the second-most wins (71) and holds the highest winning percentage (.732) in program history. The Beaver Football mantra of “Grind the Axe” (Attitude, Execution, Effort) has led the program to finish with at least seven wins in each of Bolte’s eight seasons, including BSU's first three seasons earning 10 wins. 

The Beavers made an impact on the NCAA during the 2024 season, making their first ever NCAA Division II Tournament Quarterfinal appearance. BSU's appearance in the tournament garnered the honor of being the only team in the NCAA to appear in the second round for each of the past four years. The Beavers went into the postseason off the high of defeating No. 15/10 Augustana University in the final week of NSIC play. They then headed to San Angelo, Tex. for a rematch against Angelo State, the team that ended their playoff push in 2022. After a strong 24-14 victory, the team traveled to Gunnison, Colo. the following weekend to take on No. 10 Western Colorado. After getting down 19-14 in the third quarter, the Beavers needed something magical to pull out a win in the -2°, Rocky Mountain environment. This magic sparked late in the fourth quarter when Gabe Ward scooped a fumble on defense and ran it into the endzone for a 79-yard fumble-recovery touchdown, making it 20-19 in favor of BSU. The Beavers' streak came to a halt in their first quarterfinals appearance, falling 27-23 to NSIC rival RV MSU Mankato, falling four yards and eight quarters short of the National Champion title. 

The Beavers excelled in the classroom as well as on the field in 2024, marking two College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans in Marco Cavallaro and Brice Peters along with eight CSC Academic All-District Selections. Ridge Flatness and Bill Ketola were named NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners and 26 were named to the NSIC All-Academic team. Center Jake Gannon brought in his fair share of post-season accolades being named the Rimington Trophy Winner for Division II, an award given to the top center in each NCAA division. He was also named an AP All-American First Teamer, D2CCA All-American, All-Super Region 4, D2Football.com All-American, Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-American, a finalist for the Gene Upshaw award and the Bobby Belly College Football Impact Player of the Year. Marcus Hansen joined Gannon as an AP All-American, All-Super Region 4, D2Football.com All-American honorable mention, Don Hansens's Football Gazette All-American honorable mention and Harlon Hill nominee. Brice Peters was named the team's AFCA All-American and Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-American Second Team, while he and Stephen Hoffman were added to the D2Football.com All-American honorable mentions list. As a team, the Beavers had six named All-NSIC First Team selections with eight on the second team. Bolte's Defensive Coordinator, Joe Ford, was named the NSIC's Assistant Coach of the Year as he helped propel the defense to a season-high ranking of 7th in total defense, along with coaching multiple athletes to the top rankings of Division II. 

Keeping up with the new standard of play in Bemidji, the Beavers made it to their third-straight postseason run in 2023. After a 10-3 win over No. 12/10 Texas-Permian Basin to start the tournament, the Beavers hosted RV Central Washington at the Chet, unfortunately falling in the second round for the third season. The season included the Beavers' taking the No. 7 spot in D2Football.com's Top 25 poll as well as a season-high No. 9 spot in the AFCA Poll. The team found their spot in the tournament as the No. 6 seed in Super Region 4 at the close of the regular season. The 2023 season was hallmarked with Marcus Hansen named the NSIC's Defensive Player of the Year, landing a total of 14 on All-NSIC teams. Offensive lineman Ty Cobb raked in the post-season accolades as well, being named a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award, All-Super Region 4, Associated Press All-American, Don Hansen All-America Team and D2CCA First Team All-American Honors, plus taking home the Bobby Bell College Impact Player of the Year Award. . Alongside Cobb, wide receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby finished his senior season as an All-Super Region 4, as well as Marcus Hansen. Hansen also was named an AP All-American and a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award. Duncan-Busby was drafted into the CFL by the Saskatchewan RoughRiders and has remained on the roster in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Quarterback Brandon Alt continued his streak, being nominated for the Harlon Hill Award. 

Trying to replicate the success from an impressive 2021 season was no small task, but Bolte and the Beavers again pushed the envelope matching the program record for wins again with 10 and reaching the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Beavers picked up the win over Winona State for the first home playoff victory in program history. BSU won back-to-back NSIC crowns, picking up their seventh overall. There was a plethora of awards to end the season including 17 All-NSIC honors, with Brandon Alt being named Offensive Player of the Year. BSU went on to add five regional accolades and a trio of All-America honors in Brendan Beaulieu, Ty Cobb and Zollie Kaplan. Beaulieu led DII in receiving touchdowns (19) and was second in receiving yards (1,504). He became the first BSU Football student-athlete to earn D2CCA All-America First Team honors and second to be named to the AP All-America First Team. Cobb earned his first two All-America honors being named to the second team in both. He helped power an offensive line that ranked sixth in DII allowing only eight sacks and finished 11th in the nation in scoring. He helped the Beavers average 318.7 passing yards per game to rank sixth in DII and 438.9 yards total to stand 12th. Cobb is the first offensive linemen in BSU history to be named either first or second team all-America by any publication. Kaplan earned his first career all-America accolades after finishing seventh in the Gene Upshaw Award voting with 14.5 sacks to rank third in DII and 21.5 tackles for loss to rank eighth. He is the first-ever defensive lineman in program history to earn all-America first or second team recognition and just the second to be recognized as all-America.Alt finished eighth in the Harlon Hill voting after leading the NSIC with 3,864 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns ranking him third and fourth nationally. He holds BSU's career passing yardage and touchdown records with 8,649 passing yards and 94 career passing touchdowns.

The 2021 Beaver squad finished 10-3 overall, securing the first 10-win season in program history, as Bolte was named the 2021 NSIC Coach of the Year. He led BSU to its sixth overall NSIC Championship, first since 2006, and first NSIC North Division Championship outright. The Beavers opened the NCAA Tournament with a 28-24 win at No. 25 Augustana and advanced as the only NSIC program in the second round. Bemidji State ended its season ranked No. 18 in the D2Football.com Top 25 Media Poll and No. 19 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, marking the highest ranking in either poll in program history. The senior class (2017-21) posted 33 wins as the winningest class in BSU history.

Bolte had three players earn All-America honors in Brendan Beaulieu, Ty Cobb and Malik Williams. Beaulieu garnered three All-America honors through the Associated Press, D2Football.com and Don Hansen Football Committee, and set BSU single-season receiving records with 76 catches and 1,318 yards to go along with 13 touchdown receptions. Williams also set a BSU single-season record 18 receiving touchdowns, which ranked second in NCAA Division II. Cobb, a D2CCA All-Super Region 4 and All-NSIC First Team selection, contributed to the nation’s fifth-best offensive line in sacks allowed (9), the fifth-highest passing offense (335.3 ypg), ninth-highest total offense (466.7 ypg) and 11th-best tackles for loss allowed (44). He blocked for quarterback Brandon Alt, who finished fifth in the 2021 Harlon Hill voting and set the NSIC single-season record with 46 passing touchdowns. Alt became just the 20th player in NCAA Division II history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a single season and set the single-season BSU record with 4,245 passing yards.

Through his time as head coach, Bolte’s student-athletes have garnered 19 All-American, 27 all-region and 65 all-conference selections, including five-time All-American Michael Junker and four-time All-American Gunner Olszewski. Olszewski, the 2018 NSIC Defensive Player of the Year, went on to sign with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019 before being named to the 2020 AP All-Pro first team as a punt returner. Bolte’s student-athletes have also shown proficiency in the classroom earning two CoSIDA Academic All-American, four CoSIDA Academic All-District, four NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic, eight NFF Hampshire Honor Society and 50 Fall Academic All-NSIC selections.

The Gang Green defense has been a regular in the NCAA rankings since Bolte began his coordinator duties at BSU, which continued into his time as head coach. The team has finished in the top seven nationally in rush defense three times, including leading the country in 2006, and top-20 five times. In the last 15 seasons, the Beavers have finished in the top 20 in total defense on four occasions: 2006 (16th), 2009 (14th), 2010 (18th), and 2012 (15th). The 2011 version of the Gang Green defense held its opponents to 16.0 points per game to rank No. 3 in the nation.

Bolte has been the leader of a BSU team to average eight wins over his first four seasons at the helm, finishing the 2019 campaign with an 8-3 record, including a 6-1 record in the NSIC North Division. The Bemidji State 2019 senior class totaled 32 wins over the last four years, which is a BSU record for a senior class. In 2019, BSU earned eight All-America accolades, led by senior defensive back Michael Junker with a program-record five All-American honors, along with 15 all-conference players and 16 members on the NSIC All-Academic team. The Beaver offense averaged 30.4 points per game to rank fourth in the NSIC, 200.6 rushing yards per game to rank third, 232.9 passing yards per game to rank fifth, and 186.0 passing yards allowed per game to rank fourth. Powering BSU's rushing attack was sophomore running back Jalen Frye, who led the NSIC with 148.6 rushing yards per game. Frye became just the second Beaver ever to rush for over 300 yards in a game on Nov. 16, 2019, finishing four yards shy of setting the program single-game record. The Gang Green defense averaged 20.8 points per game and boasted a 28.7 percent third-down conversion rate, which ranked 13th best in the nation. The red zone defense for the Beavers ranked fourth-best in the country at 60.7 percent. The Gang Green defense also ranked among the top 10 nationally in interceptions and pass defense efficiency.

The Beavers continued to rank among the top of the NSIC after finishing the 2018 campaign with a 7-4 record, including a 5-2 mark in the NSIC North Division. The Beavers have also totaled at least 17 student-athletes on the All-NSIC list in each season under Bolte while also ranking third in the league with 38.2 points per game, 17th nationally, and 216.5 rushing yards per game. The Beavers also paced the NSIC in fourth-down conversions and defensive interceptions while and ranked among the top five in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. Nationally, BSU ranked among the top five in punt returns, red zone defense, and turnover margin. Senior defensive back Gunner Olszewski earned six post-season awards, including a program-record four All-American honors. Joining Olszewski with post-season awards included senior offensive lineman Parker Blakeslee and junior offensive lineman Nick Niemi. Six Beavers were also named to the 2018 Fall Academic All-NSIC team.

In his first full year as head coach Bolte recorded eight wins and three losses on the year. Beaver football set a new record under Coach Bolte with 18 players receiving All-NSIC Team Honors. The NSIC All-Academic team included 11 players from BSU. Bemidji State was ranked second in scoring offense with an average of 35.3 points per game and fifth in scoring defense with 17.3 points per game. Beavers took fourth in total offensive yards per game with an average of 396.5 yards, along with taking fifth in total defensive yards averaging 299.3 per game. Bemidji State ranked third in the conference in rushing yards with 202.5 yards per game and fifth in defensive rushing with 104.9 yards. Multiple Beavers earned conference and national awards, including senior guard Jake Krause who was named the 2017 NSIC Glen Galligan Award winner, junior safety John Vogeler who was named D2CCA Football All-Super Region Four First Team and senior safety Evan Tompkins who became the third ever Beaver Football student-athlete to be selected CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team.

The high level of play continued into 2016 with Bolte now serving as the interim Head Coach.  The Gang Green Defense led the NSIC in interceptions (22) while ranking fifth in total defense (394.0 yards per game), sacks (33), and scoring defense (24.4 points per game).  The defense, along with an offense that led the conference in scoring (45.6 points per game), helped the Beavers to a program record 9 total wins including the first postseason win in program history over Washburn in the Mineral Water Bowl.  The team also set a record as 17 players were named to the NSIC All-Conference list including eight to the All-NSIC First Team, six to the All-NSIC Second Team, and three to the All-NSIC Honorable Mention list.  Bolte also had 4 players consisting of Damon Benham, Jesse Hein, Jordan Hein, and Brandon Schindler named to the 2016 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-Super Region Three team and two players, Benham and Gunner Olszewski, named to the Conference Commissioner’s Association (CCA) All-Super Region Three team.  Quarterback Jordan Hein was also nominated for the Harlon Hill Award which is given to the top Division II football player in the nation.  The Beavers also found success off the field as Running back Gena Adams was named to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division II football team and the team landed 24 student-athletes on the Fall Academic All-NSIC team.

The 2015 Gang Green Defense under Coach Bolte was one of the best in the NSIC. The Beavers only allowed 19.1 points per game which was third-least in the conference. The defense also ranked third in total defense by having the third-best rush defense and seventh-best pass defense. The rush defense only allowed an average of 113.8 yards per game while the pass defense only allowed 234.7 yards per game. The Gang Green defense also recorded 30 sacks and 15 interceptions, both ranked in the top ten in the conference. Bolte's defense boasted three First Team All-NSIC selections, two Second Team All-NSIC selections, and two All-NSIC Honorable Mentions. Freshman cornerback Gunner Olszewski won multiple awards for the 2015 season, including NSIC Newcomer of the Year, 2015 NSIC Division All-Conference First Team Defense, and D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week (11/4/15). The Bemidji State defense had two players named to the 2015 Fall Academic All-NSIC Team.

In 2012, the Beavers finished second in the NSIC in total defense (295.6 yards allowed per game), rushing defense (102.8 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (18.7 points allowed per game), while they closed 2012 15th nationally in total defense, rushing defense and 18th in scoring defense. In addition, Cory Crosby earned All-NSIC First Team and Daktronics All-Central Region First Team honors, while freshman Connor Quinn was named All-NSIC as a second-team member after he ended the season first in tackles among the NSIC’s freshmen linebackers.

Crosby and Buckley Wright are the most recent examples of the type of player Bolte have consistently turned out, as Crosby finished his career as a three-time All-NSIC pick and in 2012 earned All-NSIC First Team, Daktronics All-Region First Team, and Don Hansen All-Super Region Three Third Team honors after tying for second in the NSIC in total tackles. He exited Bemidji State fifth on the all-time tackles list with 326 (133s-193a). Wright, a two-time captain, was named All-NSIC Honorable Mention as a freshman and earned All-NSIC First Team honors in 2013 as a senior. He was also a three-time Academic All-NSIC selection.

The success and talent level of the linebackers under Bolte jumped to another level with Jake Anderson. An All-NSIC Second Team pick in 2008, Anderson earned All-NSIC First Team accolades in 2009 followed by first-team all-region honors that led to a spot on two different All-America teams (Daktronics and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette).

Bolte helped mold the careers of players like Andrew Eagan, a two-time All-NSIC performer and Zach Christ, a 2006 all-conference and all-region selection and 2007 All-NSIC pick who finished his career ranked eighth on the BSU assisted tackles list with 168. In 2002, Bolte’s first year coaching linebackers, he helped continue BSU’s tradition of strong play at the linebacker position. Jon Aamot was named All-NSIC Second Team, Second-Team All-Region by Daktronics, Inc. and Third-Team All-Region by Don Hansen’s Gazette. Aamot again earned all-conference honors in 2003 and finished as BSU’s career leader in solo tackles (157) and finished second in total tackles (362).

Bolte spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons as BSU’s wide receivers coach, where he helped develop one of the NSIC’s best receiving corps. He coached an All-NSIC First Team pick during both of his seasons at the position; Jason Leden in 2000 and Ryan Welle in 2001. Under Bolte’s tutelage, Leden left BSU as the program’s career leader in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (records since tied or broken), and in 2001 Welle set a school single-season record for receiving yardage.

Before joining the BSU staff, Bolte spent 1999 coaching wide receivers and quarterbacks at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Waverly, Iowa, and raised in Tripoli, Iowa, Bolte started and lettered four years as a linebacker at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He helped the program capture the 1995 Midwest Athletics Conference championship and the 1996 Southern Division crown. He received All-MAC honors and left as the school’s career leader in tackles (since broken). He graduated in 1998 with a double major in psychology and physical education.

Bolte and his wife Kim have a son, Caden who plays DB for the Beavers, and daughter, Beth who is a member of the BSU Women's Basketball team. They reside in Bemidji.
 

Brent Bolte and the Beavers versus Opponents (2016-Present)