BISMARCK, N.D. – Bismarck State College (BSC) has named Chris Stutzriem the 11th head football coach in program history and the first to lead the revival of Mystics football, incoming Director of Athletics Jason Harris announced Tuesday. The college previously fielded football programs as Bismarck Junior College from 1946 to 1962 and again from 1971 to 1985. The Mystics will return to the gridiron in fall 2027.

Stutzriem comes to BSC after leading the Rocky Mountain College (RMC) football program for the past seven seasons. He's guided the Battlin' Bears to 30 wins during his tenure, including a Frontier Conference championship in 2021 and eight wins over ranked opponents.

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Stutzriem as the head coach to lead BSC Football's new era," said Harris. "We knew this search would be crucial to the success of our new program. We believe that Chris is a proven winner with experience across all levels of college football. His experience will aid him in leading a new program."

"I am very excited to be the Head Football Coach at BSC and lead this program," said Stutzriem. "I would like to thank Dr. Leingang, Rebecca Collins, Jason Harris and Myron Schulz for trusting and believing in me to lead the Mystics Football program after 40 years. I would also like to thank my family for their unwavering support in my career and life. I am excited to get to work and be a part of this great institution and the amazing Bismarck-Mandan community. Let's get to work MysticNation!"

Stutzriem's collegiate coaching career spans 15 seasons and includes two Coach of the Year awards, three conference championships, six players sent to the NFL, and 26 All-Americans. He was selected to the American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 Leadership Institute in 2020 and has been the NAIA Football Coaches vice president and a National Playoff Committee member since 2023.

Stutzriem began his coaching career in 2010 at William Penn University (Iowa), serving as a graduate assistant coaching wide receivers while earning his master's degree. In 2012, he joined the University of South Dakota when he was hired by his own former college head coach, Joe Glenn, to coach running backs and fullbacks for the Coyotes. He returned to William Penn in 2013 as offensive coordinator.

Stutzriem first joined RMC, serving as offensive coordinator for the Battlin' Bears during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He spent the 2018 season as offensive line coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State University before returning to Billings, Mont., when he was named the RMC head football coach.

Stutzriem had a decorated collegiate career as a quarterback, which began at the University of Wyoming. He started for the Cowboys in one of the program's biggest upsets of all time, defeating the University of Tennessee 13-7 on the road in 2008. Stutzriem finished his career at Morningside University (Iowa), following a brief stint at Indiana State University, where he was named All-Great Plains Athletic Conference, throwing for over 3,800 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Stutzriem attended Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Okla., where he played football and baseball.


HEAD COACHING RECORD
 

Year	School	Record	Notes
2019	RMC	4-7	Defeated two Top 15 teams on road
2020	RMC	1-3	COVID Spring Season
2021	RMC	7-3	Frontier Conference Champions. NAIA Top 20 finish
2022	RMC	6-4	Three Top 15 wins
2023	RMC	6-4	Three Top 20 wins
2024	RMC	2-8
2025	RMC	4-6	4-2 Frontier Conference record
Totals		30-35

THE STUTZRIEM FILE

Personal

Year at BSC: 1st

Hometown: Lawton, Okla.

Education: Morningside (Iowa), 2011 – B.A. Communication, William Penn (Iowa), 2013 – M.S. Business Leadership

Coaching Career

2026-present: Bismarck State College [Head Coach]

2019-25: Rocky Mountain College [Head Coach]

2018: Southwestern Oklahoma State University [Offensive Line Coach]

2016-17: Rocky Mountain College [Offensive Coordinator]

2013-15: William Penn University [Offensive Coordinator]

2012: University of South Dakota [RB & FB Coach]

2011: William Penn University [Graduate Assistant, WR Coach]

Playing Experience

2010: Morningside

2009: Indiana State

2007-08: Wyoming
 
MYSTICS FOOTBALL HEAD COACHES

New Era (2025-)

Chris Stutzriem [Present]

Modern Era (1971-85)

Brent Tischer [1984-85]

Leo Ringey [1980-83]

Rob Bollinger [1979]

Ed Hasche [1971-78]

Original Era (1946-62)

Dick Karlgaard [1954-55 & 1957-62]

Paul Swanson [1956]

Nick Barbie [1953]

Woody Wilson [1949 & 1952]

Dale Saxvik [1950-51]

George Schaumberg [1946-48]


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The Bismarck State College Mystics are current full members of the Frontier Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Bismarck State is proud to be the home of 19 athletic and club teams, more than 100 career pathways and $1.7 million in student scholarships annually. BSC is North Dakota's Polytechnic Institution, providing tailored, hands-on learning to equip students with the skills to thrive in high-demand industries. Visit bismarckstate.edu to learn more about the college, and visit bscmystics.com for everything Mystics Athletics.

 

Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.

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