MARSHALL, Minn. - Eric Eidsness, who has served the past six seasons as the head football coach at Southwest Minnesota State University, has resigned from his position effective immediately to become the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D.

SMSU Director of Athletics Chris Hmielewski announced that current SMSU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Cory Sauter has been named interim head coach.  A national search for a permanent head coach will start immediately.

A news conference will be held today on the second floor of the SMSU Student Center beginning at 12:30 p.m. and is open to the public.  Eidsness, Sauter, Hmielewski and SMSU President Dr. David Danahar will all speak at the news conference.

Prior to coming to SMSU, Eidsness spent five seasons as offensive coordinator at South Dakota State University, while also serving as assistant head coach during his final season in 2003.  SDSU is a member of NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) and finished the 2009 season 8-4 overall, appearing in the NCAA playoffs.

“I would like to thank Dr. David Danahar and Butch Raymond (former SMSU director of athletics) for giving me the opportunity to become the head football coach at Southwest Minnesota State University,” Eidsness said.  “I would also like to thank Chris Hmielewski, my assistant coaches and players who have been so committed to building this program for the past six years.”

“Professionally, moving up to the FCS level as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator at South Dakota State University is a great opportunity and one I look forward to,” Eidsness said.  “The hardest thing to leave behind is the players and the relationship my family has built in Marshall.”

Eidsness compiled a 26-40 career record during his tenure on the Mustang sideline, which included a winning season in 2008, recording just the eighth winning season in school history.  Eidsness' 26 victories as head coach ranks second in program history, a total that very easily could have been much higher.  Since the 2006 season, 16 of SMSU's 27 losses have been by an average of just 5.5 points.

During the past two seasons, SMSU has shown it can compete in the tough 14-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, putting together 11 combined overall victories-the most combined wins by a Mustang team in back-to-back seasons since 1991-92.

This past season, the Mustang offense had one of its best seasons in school history.  SMSU averaged 36 points per game, scoring 396 points ranking as the third highest in school history.  SMSU also scored 30 or more points in eight games, tying a school record for most 30-point games in one season.  The offense averaged 396.2 yards per game, ranking as its highest average since 1993.

In 2008, SMSU proved it could be a conference contender once again as the Mustangs recorded six victories in the newly expanded NSIC, finishing in sixth place in the 14-team league.  SMSU's 6-5 record in 2008 was the program's first winning season since 1999 and just the eighth in school history.  The top-half conference finish for SMSU was its first since 1999 and just the second since the 1992 season.  The 2008 team racked up 236 first downs ranking, as the second highest in school history.  SMSU also passed for 3,189 yards, the fourth highest total in school history and became the first Mustang team to reach 3,000 yards since 1993.  Junior running back Zach Wysong also reached a milestone as he became just the fourth Mustang player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season.

“Coach Eidsness has provided the Mustang football team with six years of dedication, strong leadership and a commitment to building the foundation of Mustang football,”?Hmielewski said.  “Reflecting on those seven years, the Mustang football program has made great strides in the areas of recruitment, academic success, fund raising, enhancement of the student-athlete and parent experience, pre-game activities and special events and success on the field.  Eric has enhanced every aspect of Mustang football.”

Under the guidance of Eidsness, SMSU had 61 players earn all-conference honors with 10 individuals earning all-region accolades.  He had five student-athletes named CoSIDA Academic All-District and recruited and coached two of the most decorated football student-athletes in conference history.  In the spring of 2007 and 2008, linebacker Tyler Fischer earned the NSIC's Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award as the league's top male student-athlete.  He was just the second SMSU male student-athlete to ever earn the award and the first in conference history to earn the award twice.  Also in both 2007 and 2008, two players were honored with the NSIC's Glen Galligan Award, honoring the top senior football student-athlete in the conference each year.  In 2007, Fischer became the first Mustang in eight years to earn the award, while in 2008 safety Tyler Reed earned the prestigious honor. 

Eidsness not only helped SMSU improve on the field of play, but his impact as head coach also helped the program make major strides off the field as well.  In 2005, SMSU set a school record with 10 players earning academic all-conference honors, but that number has been topped twice since then including a record high 17 student-athletes in 2008.

“Eric is responsible for building Mustang football from 29 student-athletes in the spring of 2004 to a program that currently averages just more than 120 student-athletes,”?Hmielewski said.  “He has done this by recruiting student-athletes that exhibit superior character, a tireless work ethic and a strong commitment to their academic studies and what it means to be a Mustang football player.  It is these characteristics along with Eric's presence as a leader that we will miss in the community, on the field, as a colleague in the athletic department and at the University.  Eric and his wife Brandi and their three children will always be part of the Mustang family.”

Following his graduation from the University of Sioux Falls in 1992, Eidsness spent two seasons in Europe where he played and also began his coaching career.  He coached two seasons with the Robinson Sphinx in Paris, France, before moving back to begin his collegiate coaching career.  His collegiate coaching career began at Morningside College (Iowa) in 1994 where he spent two seasons as quarterbacks and receivers coach, before moving to SDSU where he served as receivers coach during the 1996 and 1997 campaigns.  He then spent one season as offensive coordinator at Ferris State University (Mich.) in 1998.

Cory Sauter, 35, begins his third season as a member of the SMSU coaching staff in 2010.  During his first season at SMSU in 2008, Sauter served as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator before adding responsibilities as the team's offensive coordinator in 2009.

During Sauter's first season as offensive coordinator, SMSU averaged 36 points per game, the third highest in school history, and also scored 30 or more points in eight games, tying a school single-season record.  SMSU quarterback Ryan Ratekin was named NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2009, setting a school record with a 63.9 percent completion percentage, while passing for 2,963 yards and 33 touchdowns.  The 33 touchdowns ranks as the third highest in school history.

SMSU quarterback Josh Shudlick had a record-breaking season during Sauter's first season on the sideline in 2008, setting a conference record for passing yards and tying the league record for touchdown passes in one season.  The Mustang offense led the NSIC in passing yards, while Shudlick finished first in the conference in passing yards per game and total offense.

Prior to SMSU, Sauter, spent several years coaching at both the collegiate and professional levels.  In 2006 he served as quarterbacks/receivers coach for the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe and was also a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota.  In 2007, he was quarterbacks coach for the Berlin Thunder, also of NFL?Europe.

“I am truly excited about the opportunity  to become the next head football coach at Southwest Minnesota State University,” Sauter said.  “I look forward to providing vision, leadership, and excitement to the Mustang program.  Our goal is to take another step forward in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and represent SMSU in a positive way.”

“I feel fortunate to have worked for coach Eidsness over the past two seasons,”?Sauter said.  “I consider him a friend, mentor, and someone who I learned a lot from.  He and his family will be deeply missed here at SMSU, and we wish him nothing but success in the future.”

A native of Hutchinson, Minn., Sauter is a 1997 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where he had a record-setting career at quarterback for the Golden Gophers and spent six seasons in the National Football League.  He played four seasons for Minnesota (1994-97), including starting the final 34 games of his collegiate career and playing in the Blue-Gray All-Star Football Classic following his senior season.  He finished his career as the school's all-time career record holder for pass completions, pass attempts and passing yards.

“Cory, as interim head coach, will provide the football program with the stability and leadership it needs until a national search can be completed,”?Hmielewski said.  “Cory possesses a long history of football successes at both the collegiate and professional levels as a player and assistant coach.”

Following his collegiate career Sauter played in the NFL from 1998-2004.  He signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 1998 before spending time with the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts.  He appeared in one regular season game in his career, completing 6 of 9 passes for 59 yards in a 2002 game with the Chicago Bears.  He also played one season for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe.

Cory and his wife Amy live in Marshall with their daughter Berlin.