Upcoming Event: Football at Montana State on September 6, 2025 at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT
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6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT
Football
at Montana State
South Dakota State University Athletics
Football
Erickson, Spencer
Spencer Erickson
- Title:
- Assistant Defensive Line Coach/Director of Player Personnel
- Email:
- Spencer.Erickson@sdstate.edu
- Recruiting Area:
- South Dakota, North Dakota, Western Minnesota
Spencer Erickson is in his third season as a full-time member of the South Dakota State University football coaching staff, and added the duties of director of player personnel for the 2020 season.
He was elevated to assistant defensive line coach in 2019 after serving as defensive quality control his first season with the program in 2018. In making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, the 2019 Jackrabbits upped their sacks total by 17 — from 20 in 2018 to 37 a year later.
Under Erickson’s guidance, defensive end Ryan Earith was a second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2019, and freshman end Quinton Hicks earned a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team and recognition on a pair of Freshman All-America teams.
The Jackrabbit defensive line played a key role in the team limiting opponents to an average of 15 points per game during the 2020-21 spring season. SDSU advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision national title game behind a deep unit that did not allow a touchdown to two postseason opponents and also tied a program playoff record with seven sacks in the semifinal victory over Delaware.Â
In all, 12 different SDSU defensive linemen notched at least one tackle for loss during the 2020-21 campaign.
As defensive quality control in 2018, Erickson oversaw organization of the scout team offense and assisted with video breakdown for a Jackrabbit program that finished second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and reached the semifinals of Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the second year in a row.
Erickson was a part of a successful football program at Wisconsin-Oshkosh before moving on to Bemidji State for the 2017 season. With the Beavers, Erickson coached the outside linebackers and mentored two players who earned all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors. Bemidji State ranked third in NCAA Division II for fewest touchdowns allowed, ranked fifth in interceptions and posted the ninth-best rushing yards per carry average on the defensive side of the ball.
At UW-Oshkosh, Erickson served as a student assistant for five seasons, coaching the outside linebackers and defensive quality control. The Titans made three NCAA Division III playoff appearances and won a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Association titles. UW-Oshkosh advanced to the D-III national title championship game in 2016, falling to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 10-7.
During the 2016 campaign, UW-Oshkosh ranked fifth in the nation by allowing only 12.7 points per game. The Titans also ranked in the top 15 nationally for interceptions (third), turnover margin (fifth), fumble recoveries (tied for fifth), passing efficiency defense (seventh) and total defense (15th).
Erickson graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He is completing a master’s degree in education.
He was elevated to assistant defensive line coach in 2019 after serving as defensive quality control his first season with the program in 2018. In making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, the 2019 Jackrabbits upped their sacks total by 17 — from 20 in 2018 to 37 a year later.
Under Erickson’s guidance, defensive end Ryan Earith was a second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2019, and freshman end Quinton Hicks earned a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team and recognition on a pair of Freshman All-America teams.
The Jackrabbit defensive line played a key role in the team limiting opponents to an average of 15 points per game during the 2020-21 spring season. SDSU advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision national title game behind a deep unit that did not allow a touchdown to two postseason opponents and also tied a program playoff record with seven sacks in the semifinal victory over Delaware.Â
In all, 12 different SDSU defensive linemen notched at least one tackle for loss during the 2020-21 campaign.
As defensive quality control in 2018, Erickson oversaw organization of the scout team offense and assisted with video breakdown for a Jackrabbit program that finished second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and reached the semifinals of Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the second year in a row.
Erickson was a part of a successful football program at Wisconsin-Oshkosh before moving on to Bemidji State for the 2017 season. With the Beavers, Erickson coached the outside linebackers and mentored two players who earned all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors. Bemidji State ranked third in NCAA Division II for fewest touchdowns allowed, ranked fifth in interceptions and posted the ninth-best rushing yards per carry average on the defensive side of the ball.
At UW-Oshkosh, Erickson served as a student assistant for five seasons, coaching the outside linebackers and defensive quality control. The Titans made three NCAA Division III playoff appearances and won a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Association titles. UW-Oshkosh advanced to the D-III national title championship game in 2016, falling to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 10-7.
During the 2016 campaign, UW-Oshkosh ranked fifth in the nation by allowing only 12.7 points per game. The Titans also ranked in the top 15 nationally for interceptions (third), turnover margin (fifth), fumble recoveries (tied for fifth), passing efficiency defense (seventh) and total defense (15th).
Erickson graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He is completing a master’s degree in education.
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