University of Northern Iowa Football

Todd Stepsis was named the 24th head football coach at the University of Northern Iowa on Dec. 3, 2024. Stepsis joins the Panthers after a six-year stint as ...

Al Smith begins his first season with the Panthers ahead of the 2025 season after spending the past six years as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Drake. He originally joined the Bulldogs as linebackers coach in 2014. Under his direction, Drake held six opponents under 20 points during the 2024 campaign after permitting a mere 12.1 ppg in conference play in 2023. Prior to his arrival at Drake, Smith helped found the football program at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. After beginning his tenure as defensive backs coach in 2008, he helped guide the squad to a pair of NCAA Division III playoff appearances in his final two campaigns as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach. Smith was a two-time team captain and all-conference performer during his playing career at Wingate University.

Christian Nussbaum joined the UNI staff ahead of the 2025 season after a two-year stint at Drake where he mentored defensive lineman Finn Claypool, who was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award the past two seasons. Claypool was a unanimous first-team All-PFL selection in 2024 and concluded the season with 17.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 10 QB hurries. Nussbaum began his tenure with the Bulldogs as assistant defensive line coach in 2022. The Naperville, Illinois native played two seasons at Wheaton College and one year at Aurora College before graduating from the University of Illinois. Nussbaum served as a volunteer assistant football coach at Mahomet-Seymour High School in Illinois from 2019-21.

Jack Johnson joins the UNI staff ahead of the 2025 season and coached tight ends and fullbacks for the Bulldogs in 2024 as the program captured its second consecutive Pioneer Football League championship. Johnson joined the program as a special teams and offensive analyst in 2023. A two-time All-Academic Big Ten selection at the University of Iowa, Johnson served as a walk-on wide receiver for the Hawkeyes. He holds a bachelor's degree in sports management from Iowa.

Jax Ostroski entered his first season coaching at UNI in 2025 after working with the offensive line as a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois in 2024. Ostroski was the only offensive GA at Eastern Illinois, serving as a key resource for offensive line coach/run game coordinator John Cannova. Ostroki coached tight ends and assisted with the offensive line for Stepsis at Drake in 2022-23. A Presidential Scholarship recipient at Drake, he served as a tight end during his four seasons as a player for the Bulldogs.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Kevin Hodges joined the Panthers ahead of the 2025 season following a successful stint at NC State, where he served as a defensive graduate assistant from 2022 to 2024. While working with defensive backs and linebackers, he played a key role in developing one of the nation’s top defensive secondaries. Under his contributions, NC State ranked top-five nationally in interceptions and was the only FBS team in 2022 to hold all opponents under 30 points. Hodges worked closely with defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, assisting in all aspects of secondary development. Prior to NC State, Hodges gained valuable experience at Duke, Eastern Illinois, and Maryland, including roles in defensive quality control, recruiting operations, and as an assistant safeties coach under legendary head coach David Cutcliffe. In 2023, he further expanded his coaching acumen as a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A native of Ellenwood, Georgia, Hodges began his coaching journey in 2019 as the defensive backs coach at James H. Blake High School. Before entering the coaching ranks, he served honorably in the United States Navy as a Cryptologic Technician (Collection) First Class, completing tours in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and at United States Cyber Command in Maryland. He is a two-time recipient of the Joint Service Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal. Hodges and his wife, Vantreese, have two children: a son, Kyrie, and a daughter, Kiera

Michael McCourt comes to UNI ahead of the 2025 season after spending the past two years as special teams coordinator/running backs coach at Drake. Under his tutelage, Drake's special teams were stellar in 2024, finishing sixth overall in the final PFF rankings. The Bulldogs ranked fifth in the FCS in blocked kicks, second in field goals made per game and fifth in punt return coverage. Under his instruction, kicker Shane Dunning was a two-time all-conference performer and the 2023 Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Year. In total, he has coached 11 all-conference honorees, including first-teamers long snapper Brett Welsing in 2024 and return specialist Deyon Campbell in 2023. He also has previous experience at Stephen F. Austin and Pace University. McCourt worked as a coaching intern for the NFL's Oakland Raiders in 2018 and 2019 before joining Findlay University as running backs coach. As a player, McCourt was a record-setting quarterback at Nichols College.

Nate Thompson arrives in Cedar Falls ahead of the 2025 season after serving as an offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Drake. He spent three years with the program after beginning his tenure with the Bulldogs in 2022. Thompson spent two seasons at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington where he coached the offensive line in 2020 and added run game coordinator duties to his responsibilities in 2021. In 2019 he coached the offensive line at prep powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Thompson played collegiately at Wheaton College and was a member of the 2019 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.

Nelson begins his second stint as UNI's offensive line coach ahead of the 2023 season after spending the previous eight years as a physical education teacher and head football coach at Ankeny High School, where he won a Class 4A state championship in 2020. During his first go-around with the Panthers from 2000 through 2015, Nelson coached 22 FCS All-Americans and 29 All-Conference selections. UNI made the FCS playoffs 8 times during Nelson's first tenure with a pair of trips to the national semifinals (2001, 2008), an appearance in the 2005 national championship game and an undefeated regular season in 2007. Two UNI linemen who would reach the NFL under Nelson, including Brandon Keith, a 7th round pick in 2008 by the Arizona Cardinals, and Austin Howard, 2010 free agent signing by the Philadelphia Eagles who went on to play 9 seasons in the league. Prior to his time in Cedar Falls, Nelson coached 11 seasons at Southwest Missouri State (known today as Missouri State). During his time in Springfield, Nelson helped the Bears set 35 offensive records, and saw six players earn All-American honors. 20 Southwest Missouri State athletes earned All-Gateway Conference recognition, with two being named to the conference's All-Decade Team of the 1990s. Nelson also coached Jason Whittle during his tenure with the Bears, who played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Giants, Buccaneers, Vikings and Bills. Nelson, an Urbandale, Iowa native and 1986 UNI graduate, is married to his wife Jamie. The

Former UNI linebacker Riley Van Wyhe joined the football staff at his alma mater in the spring of 2023, serving as assistant linebackers coach. A native of R...

Sean Hupke joins the Panthers ahead of the 2025 season following a two-year stint as a defensive assistant/safeties coach at Drake where the Bulldogs won back-to-back Pioneer Football League titles. He spent the 2022 season at South Dakota State as a defensive and special teams assistant on a Jackrabbits squad which compiled a 14-1 record en route to the FCS National Championship. SDSU's only loss that season was a 7-3 setback at Iowa. Hupke previously served as a student assistant at Washington State in 2020-21 where he worked with the wide receivers for the Cougars. He played collegiately as a safety for Diablo Valley College from 2017-19.