Assistant Coaches--Defense
Matt Christensen
Coach Matt Christensen has been the Defensive Coordinator for the Brandon Valley Lynx under Head Coach Chad Garrow for 12 seasons. The Lynx have won over 70% of their games during that span, and the Lynx defense has posted multiple seasons of allowing under 3 yards per carry.
Christensen has coached dozens of All-State and All-Conference players, the most accomplished being Matthew VandeBerg, who had 21 career interceptions for the Lynx before starring for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Christensen also coached Lynx career sack
leader and SDSU commit Cade Terveer, who put QBs down 31 times. In addition to Coach Christensen’s success with Brandon Valley, he was named SDFBCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016, and he was selected to coach in the SD All-Star game in 2017.
He is also a Region 5 Board Member in SDFBCA, presenting at coaching clinics and organizing events to empower coaches to help grow the game for the benefit of student-athletes. As a player, he was an All-State, All-Star, and State Champion linebacker and team captain for Yankton, then a team captain linebacker for Augustana University.
Christensen has coached dozens of All-State and All-Conference players, the most accomplished being Matthew VandeBerg, who had 21 career interceptions for the Lynx before starring for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Christensen also coached Lynx career sack
leader and SDSU commit Cade Terveer, who put QBs down 31 times. In addition to Coach Christensen’s success with Brandon Valley, he was named SDFBCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016, and he was selected to coach in the SD All-Star game in 2017.
He is also a Region 5 Board Member in SDFBCA, presenting at coaching clinics and organizing events to empower coaches to help grow the game for the benefit of student-athletes. As a player, he was an All-State, All-Star, and State Champion linebacker and team captain for Yankton, then a team captain linebacker for Augustana University.
Jared Fredenburg
Coach Fredenburg started coaching at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls in 2002, and was part of the coaching staff that led the Rough Riders to state titles in 2006, 2007, and 2011. In 2012, Fredenburg was named the Defensive Coordinator for the RHS football program, where he served until 2016. In 2017, he was named as the Head Coach for Lincoln High School.
He is a native of Edgeley, North Dakota, and played college football at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. Coach Riggs says, "Coach Fredenburg is another defensive coach that brings high intensity and high intelligence to coaching all defensive positions and schemes. He will help athletes at all levels gain better understanding of fundamentals and key concepts."
He is a native of Edgeley, North Dakota, and played college football at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. Coach Riggs says, "Coach Fredenburg is another defensive coach that brings high intensity and high intelligence to coaching all defensive positions and schemes. He will help athletes at all levels gain better understanding of fundamentals and key concepts."
Brian Hermanson
Brian Hermanson brings 34 years of coaching experience to our academy program. During his coaching career he served as the Defensive Coordinator at RHS, he has coached linebackers for the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University, and he recently completed his third year as the Defensive Coordinator for the Sioux Falls Storm. He is best known for his remarkable success as the Head Coach at WHS from 2005-2012, compiling a 47-3 record during his tenure. Under Hermanson's leadership, WHS played in the 11AA State Championship game for six consecutive years and won the 11AA state title three of the last four years of his high school coaching career. Coach Hermanson also sent 51 of his players to play in college, 22 of them with Division I schools. For his contributions to high school coaching in South Dakota, he will be inducted into the SD High School Coaching Hall of Fame in January, 2016.
Coach Riggs says, "We are very lucky to have a coach of Hermanson's caliber on our staff. He brings a wealth of experience as well as being one of those magical coaches that can bring top-quality instruction with enthusiasm for learning the game. There are not many coaches that have those gifts, and it will be a tremendous experience for our athletes to learn from him. Athletes who work with Coach Hermanson are going to have an opportunity to learn firsthand from one of the great ones!"
Email at hermie@riggsfootball.com
Coach Riggs says, "We are very lucky to have a coach of Hermanson's caliber on our staff. He brings a wealth of experience as well as being one of those magical coaches that can bring top-quality instruction with enthusiasm for learning the game. There are not many coaches that have those gifts, and it will be a tremendous experience for our athletes to learn from him. Athletes who work with Coach Hermanson are going to have an opportunity to learn firsthand from one of the great ones!"
Email at hermie@riggsfootball.com
Cory L. Johnsen
Cory L. Johnsen has joined our coaching staff to work with Defensive Linemen. Johnsen, a native from Aberdeen, SD, played for St. Cloud University from 2001-2005. Johnsen was awarded 2nd Team All-NCC as a junior, but suffered a season-ending injury his senior year.
Johnsen moved to Sioux Falls in 2006 to play for the Sioux Falls Storm and was a staple of the Storm Defense. Cory was a contributor to six of the Storm's championships, has been a Defensive Captain, and currently has the record for most wins as a player with the Storm at 119 wins to just 15 losses. He now lends his expertise as an Assistant Coach to the Sioux Falls Storm.
Johnsen moved to Sioux Falls in 2006 to play for the Sioux Falls Storm and was a staple of the Storm Defense. Cory was a contributor to six of the Storm's championships, has been a Defensive Captain, and currently has the record for most wins as a player with the Storm at 119 wins to just 15 losses. He now lends his expertise as an Assistant Coach to the Sioux Falls Storm.
Brandon Mohr
Coach Brandon Mohr joins our staff to work with linebackers. Coach Mohr played linebacker at WHS for three years under Coach Hermanson and participated in four state championship games, winning two of those. Coach Mohr is currently entering his senior season at Augustana where he has played in 32 games over the last three years. During his Augie career, he has accumulated 234 tackles and twice earned All Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors. Coach Mohr is majoring in Physical and Health Education at Augustana, and has also earned academic All NSIC honors.
We asked Coach Mohr what he enjoys about playing and coaching
linebackers, and why young athletes benefit from summer training, and this was his response:
I enjoy coaching and playing linebacker because we are the leaders of the defense. Linebackers are the leaders that players look at before the snap for the play call, instruction during the snap, and the ones who lead the way when adversity strikes on the field. Playing linebacker takes a special skill set, consisting of the physical tools to be able to take on blockers and be aggressive in the run game as well as run with wide receivers and chase down running backs in the pass game. Along with the physical tools, linebackers need to be mentally prepared to play both the run and pass, as well as being there to pick teammates up when things aren't going as planned. The thing I enjoy most about the linebacker position is being a jack-of-all-trades on the defense and being the one teammates look to when they need leadership. It is important for young athletes to come to position clinics because it is never too young to start learning the fundamentals of football. The earlier that kids start participating in training clinics and learning how to play the game correctly and safely, the earlier they are going to find success both on and off of the football field.
We asked Coach Mohr what he enjoys about playing and coaching
linebackers, and why young athletes benefit from summer training, and this was his response:
I enjoy coaching and playing linebacker because we are the leaders of the defense. Linebackers are the leaders that players look at before the snap for the play call, instruction during the snap, and the ones who lead the way when adversity strikes on the field. Playing linebacker takes a special skill set, consisting of the physical tools to be able to take on blockers and be aggressive in the run game as well as run with wide receivers and chase down running backs in the pass game. Along with the physical tools, linebackers need to be mentally prepared to play both the run and pass, as well as being there to pick teammates up when things aren't going as planned. The thing I enjoy most about the linebacker position is being a jack-of-all-trades on the defense and being the one teammates look to when they need leadership. It is important for young athletes to come to position clinics because it is never too young to start learning the fundamentals of football. The earlier that kids start participating in training clinics and learning how to play the game correctly and safely, the earlier they are going to find success both on and off of the football field.