RAPID CITY, S.D. – Head Football Coach Charlie Flohr has announced some role changes on his staff as the staff is now complete.

Following the departure of Austin Stephens, the former offensive line coach, Tavian Tumbleson who previously held the roles of Tight End coach and administrative duties as Coordinator of Operations, has now moved to a full-time coaching role as the new offensive line coach.

Tumbleson, with the staff for two years as tight ends coach helped Henry Dryden become one of the better tight ends in the conference and nationally as he was named RMAC First Team All-Conference and to the All-Super Region 4 Second Team in 2023.

"Tavian has done a tremendous job with our tight ends over the last two year and his ability to teach both on and of the field along with his work ethic and desire to get the most out of his player made it clear that he was the best fit for the job," said head football coach Charlie Flohr. "I am excited to have Coach Tumbleson as our OL coach in the future."

In addition to Tumbleson, Garrett Folchert who has also been with the staff as a volunteer, helping as an offensive assistant and assistant WR coach has been elevated to a full-time staff member as an offensive assistant working with tight ends and wide receivers.

Over the past two seasons, Folchert has helped Isaiah Eastman, Jeremiah Bridges and Ben Noland post some of the best wide receivers seasons in South Dakota Mines history as they posted numbers near the top of the RMAC and NCAA Division II in 2022 and 2023 on their way to a combined three all-conference selections (two first team and one second team) along with two All-Super Region 4 selections and three all-america honors.

"Coach Folchert is a great teacher of the game with knowledge of the game as a former qb in college and with his time on our staff over the past couple of years," said Flohr. "With the recent shakeup of our staff I feel he is a great fit and deserving of the full-time opportunity we were able to give him and I'm excited to have him continue to be a part of our staff moving forward."

The football team opens its schedule at home with a week zero game on Aug. 29 at O'Harra Stadium against CSU Pueblo. 

About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as seven associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Canada.