Lujan promoted to RBs coach at alma mater South Dakota State
Zach Lujan
The former quarterback at South Dakota State University has already been promoted on the coaching staff for his alma mater after one season on the sidelines.
Lujan, 23, has been hired to coach the team’s running backs after spending last season as the school’s offensive quality control in which he oversaw organization of the scout team defense, assisted with video breakdown and provided input from the coaching booth on game day.
“I’m pretty excited and ready to get after it,” he told me. “It’s an unbelievable opportunity to start my coaching career with the No. 3 ranked FCS team in the country, let alone have that team be my alma mater and what SDSU has meant to me throughout the last several years.”
Lujan, of South High fame, played quarterback for the Jackrabbits from 2014 to 2016, compiling a 10-5 record as the team’s starter. He was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team in 2014 and was elected a team captain for both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
He finished his career with 3,877 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.
Lujan made school history in 2015 when he lifted South Dakota State to its first FBS win with a 41-38 victory over the University of Kansas of the Big 12 Conference. He completed 17-of-33 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns in one of the greatest performances by a college football player from Alaska.
South Dakota State University head coach John Stiegelmeier told the school’s website that hiring Lujan was an easy choice.
“Having been in our program for four years, Zach not only knows our football system but also knows and fits into our culture,” he said.
Lujan enjoyed his transition from player to coach and soaked up knowledge like a sponge in terms of better understanding scheme and techniques.
“Last year was a great opportunity for me to observe and do a lot of the behind the scenes things that go into college football and the finished product that you see on the field on Saturdays,” he said. “I got to see all that goes into game planning and what it means to be a college football coach. I am fortunate and excited for this opportunity.”