RAPID CITY, S.D. -- South Dakota Mines football head coach Charlie Flohr is pleased to announce the addition of Austin Stephens as the new offensive line coach for the Hardrocker football program announced Wednesday in Rapid City.

"I am really excited to join the staff here at South Dakota Mines," Stephens said. "They are a great group of coaches that are hungry for success and fit the family-like atmosphere that I really look for when searching for a job."

Stephens comes to South Dakota Mines after spending two years at Utah State as a graduate assistant, where he helped the offensive coaches with daily operations, primarily working with the offensive line.

Stephens is no doubt familiar with the Hardrockers and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as he spent the 2018 season as an offensive line assistant for Chadron State. Stephens also served as an offensive line coach at Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) in 2017.

"I am happy to announce Austin Stephens as our new offensive line coach for South Dakota Mines football," Flohr said. "Austin has extensive experience coaching the offensive line at a variety of levels as well as having familiarity with the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference."

Stephens has participated in camps for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers following the completion of his college career at Utah State, where he graduated with an Interdisciplinary Studies degree with an emphasis in health and wellness in 2015.

"I have heard nothing but great things about all the guys here on staff and this institution," Stephens said. "As I got to know Coach Flohr, Coach (Ryan)Gent and Coach (Rob) Sales throughout the interview process, I just got that feeling that we could have fun together and that we could all really get along very well and have that cohesiveness that you need to have on staff to create the best football product you can." 

Stephens' collegiate career was at Utah State where he was a three-year letterwinner for the Aggies. He started 39 games at center, earning honorable mention all-Mountain West honors all three seasons. As a freshman, Stephens competed at Iowa Western CC, where he led the Reivers to a national junior college title in 2012.

"Throughout the process we had our list of criteria of what we were looking for and made sure the new offensive line coach fit that, and without a doubt, Austin checked all of the boxes," Flohr added. "We are excited Austin and his wife Meagan made the decision to join our Hardrocker Family."

Stephens takes over the offensive line coach duties from Cody O'Neil who will be stepping into more of an administrative role within the Hardrocker Athletics Dept.