South Dakota Mines

• Austin Stephens was hired in 2021 as the offensive line coach and is in his third year.
• Throughout the 2023 season, the South Dakota Mines offensive line protected the quarterback, allowing just six sacks through the first six games of the season to sit in top 10 in the country at the Division II level. They finished the season allowing 1.36 sacks per games, 36th in the nation and second in the RMAC.
• Stephens helped Connor and Grant Smith to earn All-Conference honors following the 2023 season. Connor was named to the first team, marking his third straight year earning All-Conference, while Grant was named to the second team.
• Connor Smith repeated the honor in 2022, earning All-Conference Honorable Mention.
• In 2021, Stephens helped Austin Roth and Connor Smith earn RMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention honors.
• Prior to joining the staff at South Dakota Mines, Stephens was a graduate assistant at Utah State charged with coaching the offensive line in 2019 and 2020.
• In 2020, Utah State was third best in MWC in sacks allowed.
• Offensive lineman Demytrick Ali’ifua and Karter Shaw were named All-Mountain West Honorable Mention.
• Stephens had his first RMAC experience as offensive line coach at Chadron State in 2018.
• Stephens coached offensive lineman Jake Geil to a First Team All-RMAC selection while Jared Maciejczak earned honorable mention.
• Travis Romsa was named an AFCA First Team All-American in addition to earning First Team All-RMAC honors.
• In 2017, as offensive line coach at Iowa Western, Stephens coached the entire starting offensive line to ICCAC All-Conference with two first team selections and three second team selections.
• Stephens had the opportunity to participate in NFL camps with the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers.
• In his college career, Stephens started all 39 games in his final three seasons at Utah State as a player, earning Honorable Mention Mountain West Three times, along with a Phil Steele Third Team All-Mountain West selection.
• In his first year of collegiate football, Stephens was selected MFC First Team All-Conference at Iowa Western Community College on their way to a 12-0 season and a national championship.
• Stephens earned his bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in interdisciplinary studies (2015).

Personal

Year at South Dakota Mines: Third
Hometown: West Des Moines, Iowa
Education: Utah State University, 2015 – B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies
Family: Wife: Meagan, Daughter: Charley

Coaching Career

2021-pres. – South Dakota Mines (Offensive Line)
2019-2020 – Utah State University (Offensive Line)
2018 – Chadron State College (Offensive Line)
2017 – Iowa Western Community College (Offensive Line)

Collegiate Career: Football

2013-2016 – Utah State University
2012 – Iowa Western Community College