Brent Bolte details Beavers' nonconference deal with Michigan Tech and coaching changes

May 10—Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part Bemidji State football story.

The first part,

including a roster breakdown from head coach Brent Bolte, ran in the May 4, 2024, edition of The Bemidji Pioneer.

BEMIDJI — When Upper Iowa left the NSIC, it started a domino effect that changed the trajectory of several NSIC football teams in 2023.

The Peacocks left openings across the NSIC calendar, none bigger than on the gridiron. Programs were left with two options: leave their newly-opened week void of competition or schedule a nonconference game.

Bemidji State couldn't find a team outside of the NSIC to fill their opening during Week 6, leaving the Beavers with a 10-game schedule. It proved to be beneficial for head coach Brent Bolte and his team, who took the two weeks following a 27-24 homecoming loss against Minnesota State to recuperate after a hard-fought first half of their season.

In January, the NCAA approved Zero Week at the Division II level, giving NSIC schools a chance to start their seasons a week earlier without having to forgo a mid-season bye week.

"It's been quite the process — a fairly frustrating one," Bolte said. "We could've gotten (an 11th game) last year, but with Upper Iowa leaving, we just had to leave that date open. If the NCAA wouldn't have approved the Zero Week — they allow you to play a week earlier now — I honestly don't know if we would've played an 11th game this year."

Luckily for Bolte and BSU, the NCAA's approval to extend the regular season by one week was approved, paving the way for Bemidji State's first nonconference game since Aug. 25, 2011.

In steps Michigan Tech, a team the Beavers haven't played since 1993.

"They're always having problems geographically," Bolte said. "Their closest games are against teams in their own conference. It's the same problem we have as well. They're a good football team that's been hovering around .500 for a while. Strength of schedule-wise, it made sense for us to do this. They'll be in our region next year or the following year."

Bolte said BSU entered a three-year deal with the Huskies to play Zero Week games. Bemidji State hosts MTU on Aug. 29 at Chet Anderson Stadium. The Beavers will travel to Houghton, Mich., to open the 2025 season.

"There's a lot of things that go into it," Bolte said. "I'm competitive as hell, and I want to play the games. If we had a budget to go to Texas or somewhere else, we probably would've. It's hard to find an opponent that would do a return game or go back and forth. ... But I'm all for it. I wish we had more conferences closer to us, but it's a no-brainer to be able to do this, and hopefully, the (NSIC) doesn't go back to the silo approach when Jamestown comes in."

Bolte also noted the risks of scheduling nonconference games. Bemidji State's eight-year head coach was on the selection committee for the Division II playoffs last fall. It was an eye-opening experience.

"The more I learn about it, the more I understand that you have to play a team that will boost your strength of schedule," Bolte said. "Sometimes, it's almost more beneficial not to play one. You look at Duluth last year, they played a team that was 0-11. I believe (UMD) was as good as anyone who made the playoff field at 9-2. That game probably cost them getting in over (Minnesota State), a team they beat head-to-head."

Michigan Tech finished 15-16 over the last three seasons. Bolte isn't concerned with the Huskies holding their own in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

"For me, you just kind of have to have a historical view of what their program has been," Bolte said. "They've been above or around .500 for quite some time. They're well-coached, and they've played some teams tough. We got some film and watched them play really tough against Grand Valley. In my opinion, they were the second or third-best team in the country last year."

In the spirit of firsts, the Beavers broke even more new ground in the new era of D-II college football, aside from scheduling their first nonconference game in 13 years.

BSU played in a second spring game in April. Players suited up for their traditional Green and White Game on April 6. Two weeks later, they hit the road for a scrimmage against Minnesota Duluth.

"I was one of the few coaches that wanted to go on the road for this thing," Bolte said. "Let's go to the hostile environment. Let's get out of our routine here at home. Our kids were excited. It gets a little mundane hitting the same guys and doing the same drills in practice every day. I know our kids were hungry to go do it. They went over there and really performed well."

Bemidji State does not play the Bulldogs in 2024, making them a perfect opponent for a newly adopted spring scrimmage format. The NCAA recently approved the ability for schools to play against each other in the spring.

"You can play the game against whoever you want," Bolte said. "It was nice to do it against Duluth. In a normal year where we play them in the fall, I don't know if that's something either (team) would want to do. You don't want to show or do too much against a rival. In terms of logistics and geographics, it made a ton of sense to go against them."

BSU will not play UMD every spring.

"I've looked at different opportunities like going down to the Twin Cities, maybe doing an alumni event," Bolte continued. "We'll probably change the timing of it so we can do it more around our (10th) practice instead of our 15th practice, just so we have more bodies. Some guys get injured or we lose some guys. There's some stuff to tweak, but we'll still do those scrimmages moving forward."

Jordan Hein had been with the Bemidji State football program for the better part of 10 years. He played quarterback for the Beavers from 2014-17, earning a Harlon Hill Trophy nomination in 2016. He helped BSU to its first-ever postseason win that same year in the Mineral Water Bowl against Washburn.

Hein joined the coaching staff after his playing career. The quarterback turned into a wide receiver and co-special teams coordinator. Now, one of the most revered Bemidji State football players ever earned his shot in an elevated coaching position. Hein accepted a role as Northern State's offensive coordinator.

"First and foremost, I want to thank Jordy for everything he's done for the program as a player and a coach," Bolte said. "I've known that guy for over a decade since his recruitment. ... I'm going to miss him a lot. I love the guy outside of the coaching aspect. He's a great alum."

Bolte met Hein before the recruitment process started. Hein's brother, Jesse, played center on the Beavers' offensive line.

Over the last decade, Bolte's relationship with Hein developed into a bond greater than football. He watched his former recruit become one of the best players in program history and a beloved coach, who's finally getting a shot to construct an offense.

Bolte said he's in the process of filling the coaching vacancy. He expects to finalize the hiring process within the next two weeks.

"I don't know if you can replace Jordy with one person," Bolte left off. "He had a great relationship with coach (Karson) Pike and our passing game. We'll divvy up some roles, including special teams. (Alex) Ney will take more of a role. He was our co-special teams coordinator last year. But we wish Jordy well, except when he plays the Beavs. He truly deserves the opportunities he's earned."