SAN DIEGO – San Diego State is adding Eric Schmidt to the Aztec football coaching staff as its defensive coordinator under head coach Sean Lewis. He will also coach the SDSU linebackers.
Schmidt previously spent two seasons at the University of Washington as its special teams coordinator and coach of the EDGE position on defense.
In 2023, Schmidt helped take the Huskies into the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed following a perfect 12-0 regular season and a PAC-12 Championship victory over Oregon. Statistically, they led the Pac-12 in interceptions (5), punt return defense (1.83), ranked third in team passing efficiency defense (122.64), and fifth in turnovers gained (18).
Individually, two of Schmidt's EDGE rushers earned all-Pac-12 this past season in Bralen Trice (first team) and Zion Tupuola-Fetui (honorable mention). It is the second straight all-conference accolade for Trice who has led the nation in quarterback hurries each of the last two seasons.
In 2022, Schmidt oversaw a defensive unit that led the Huskies to an 11-2 overall record. Washington's rushing defense, which had been ranked 11th in the Pac-12 and 108th in the FBS just one year earlier, to third in the conference and 25th in the nation in 2022.
Schmidt's edge rushers helped UW reach 20th in the nation in team sacks, up from a ranking of No. 98 just one year prior. Both starting EDGEs, Jeremiah Martin and Bralen Trice, earned first-team All-Pac-12, with Trice also earning second-team All-America.
Schmidt was at Fresno State each of the two years prior to joining the Husky staff, serving as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. He and DeBoer first worked together at Southern Illinois, when DeBoer was offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2010-13).
In two seasons at Fresno State, Schmidt was part of a defensive staff that helped coach a unit that made vast statistical improvements in nearly every team defensive category over the 2019 season, the year before his arrival.
The Bulldogs' defense went from 82nd in the national in scoring defense and 88th in total defense in 2019, to No. 20 and No. 31 in the FBS in 2021, respectively – improvements of 62 and 57 places. In terms of NCAA-FBS national ranking, the run defense improved from 71st to 24th while the pass defense leaped from 107th to 58th. Fresno State also improved its national ranking by 45 or more places in yards allowed per play, opponent first downs, sacks, tackles for loss, third-down percentage defense, and fourth-down percentage defense. That 2021 season saw Fresno State ranked among the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense, tackles for loss, takeaways, fumble recoveries, third-down conversion defense, and fourth-down conversion defense.
The Bulldogs allowed 20.5 points and 347.1 yards per game in 2021, finishing the season with a 10-3 record, including a victory in the New Mexico Bowl. Five defensive players earned some level of All-Mountain West Conference honors.
In 2020, his first season in Fresno, Schmidt's line helped the Bulldogs to the third-best national average in sacks, with 4.17 per game. The defensive line was responsible for 20.5 of Fresno State's 25 sacks during its six-game season, led by defensive end Kwami Jones and defensive tackle Kevin Atkins, with 5.0 apiece. Meanwhile, Perales led the squad with 9.0 tackles for loss, which led to the Bulldogs' landing in the top 20 nationally in that category. All three players earned postseason honors from the Mountain West.
Before taking his coaching career to the Mountain West, he had a six-year stint (his second) at North Dakota, where he worked as defensive coordinator. Twice during his tenure at UND, the Fighting Hawks ranked in the top 10 in FCS in rush defense. Schmidt coached 17 all-conference players and four All-Americans, along with two conference players of the year, while at North Dakota.
He helped lead his alma mater to two FCS Playoff berths during his tenure, the first of which (2016) was a first for the program. That team also claimed the Big Sky Championship, allowing just 91.3 yards rushing per game (sixth-best in the FCS), while notching 20 interceptions (second-best in the FCS). UND also made the playoffs in 2019, following three wins versus ranked opponents en route to a 7-4 campaign that included a 6-0 mark at home with a pair of all-America defenders in Mason Bennett and Donnell Rodgers.
Bennett was the first defensive lineman in UND's Division I era (2008-present) to be named an All-American, and just the fourth from that position group to earn the honor since 2000. Rodgers, who was a two-time All-America selection in 2019, became only the seventh linebacker in program history to receive multiple All-America selections by different publications in the same season – a feat shared with Schmidt, who achieved that feat as a player in 2001.
Strong, consistent performance from the UND defense during Schmidt's first three seasons culminated in 2016 with nine wins, a Big Sky Championship and the program's first FCS Playoff berth. During the historical campaign, Reyes captained the defense and earned All-America honors along with classmate Deion Harris. Those two combined for eight interceptions, with four returned for touchdowns. Nine defenders earned All-Big Sky recognition and Reyes was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year.
Prior to his second stint at North Dakota, Schmidt spent six seasons (2008-13) at Southern Illinois. At SIU, Schmidt served as the defensive line coach for two seasons (2010-11) and inside linebackers/special teams coordinator for two seasons (2012-13). By the end of his tenure, Schmidt had coached nine All-Missouri Valley Conference players, including one first-teamer in 2013. He also helped a 2012 defensive unit record a pair of shutouts and rank 10th nationally in rushing yards allowed.
Schmidt's first collegiate stop was as linebackers coach at North Dakota in 2006-07. He began his football coaching career at Crookston (Minn.) High School, where he was the head coach from 2002-2005.
The Mandan, N.D., native was a key performer as a team captain and senior linebacker on the North Dakota defense that won the NCAA Division II national title in 2001. Schmidt played for UND from 1998 to 2001, was a two-time All-North Central Conference selection, and earned All-America as a senior in 2001.