Updated on Jan. 10, 2024
Eric Schmidt was named the San Diego State defensive coordinator on December 15, 2023. He also coaches the 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 semifinal as the No. 2 seed following a perfect 12-0 regular season and a PAC-12 Championship victory over Oregon. Statistically, the 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 in Bralen Trice (first team) and Zion Tupuola-Fetui (honorable mention). The duo combined for 69 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and 16 quarterback hurries.
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 a member of UW head coach Kalen DeBoer's staff at Fresno State each of the two years prior to coming to Seattle, 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.
In 2021, 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.
Schmidt, captain of 2001 NCAA Division II Champion North Dakota, began his college coaching career at his alma mater as linebackers coach in 2006 and 2007. From there, he went to Southern Illinois, where he spent six seasons in total, working with linebackers and defensive line, as well as spending two years as special teams coordinator. He mentored 13 all-conference selections while at SIU.
In 2014, he returned to North Dakota, where he worked as defensive coordinator for six seasons before rejoining DeBoer at Fresno State before the 2020 season. In 2020, his Bulldogs d-line played a key role in the Bulldogs averaging 4.17 sacks per game, third-best in FBS. In 2021, Fresno State defensive ends Arron Mosby and David Perales combined for 27.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
Additionally, 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.
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.
At North Dakota, Schmidt also oversaw the UND defensive line in 2019, instructed its outside linebackers in 2018, and inside linebackers the four seasons prior.
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.
Schmidt had a pair of players in 2019 earn All-America: defensive lineman Mason Bennett and linebacker 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.
Schmidt, who owns the North Dakota single-season record for sacks in a season with 11.0, was nearly caught by Bennett in 2018, when he finished two sacks shy of tying him for the record. As a team, UND ranked second (tied) in the FCS in sacks and third (tied) in tackles for loss.
A handful of injuries, including significant ones to returning All-Americans Deion Harris and Cole Reyes, prevented Schmidt’s defense from being among the league leaders in total defense in 2017. That standard had become the norm for the program in each of the prior three seasons as it consistently ranked among the top-two in rushing defense and total defense.
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.
In 2015, senior Will Ratelle, who earned first team All-Big Sky honors after reaching the century mark in tackles, spearheaded the defense that was sixth nationally against the run, yielding only 100.3 yards per game. He was one of five UND defenders to garner all-conference honors.
In 2014, Ratelle earned All-Big Sky honorable mention honors and became the first UND player to eclipse the century mark in tackles since Digger Anderson (2004), finishing with 106. Ratelle was one of three UND defenders to earn all-conference honors in Schmidt’s first season back at UND. Schmidt’s unit was also among the best in the FCS in tackles for loss, racking up the sixth-highest total in the country with 111. That total topped the Big Sky and the defense’s 34 sacks were second most in the league.
Prior to North Dakota, Schmidt spent six seasons (2008-13) at Southern Illinois, which is where he first crossed paths with DeBoer, who was Southern Illinois’ offensive coordinator for four of the six seasons that Schmidt spent there. During the seasons DeBoer and Schmidt were both at SIU, Schmidt was its defensive line coach for two seasons (2010-11) and inside linebackers/special teams coordinator for two seasons (2012-13).
In the first two of his six years at Southern Illinois, he coached the outside linebackers. In all, Schmidt coached nine All-Missouri Valley Conference players during his time at SIU, including one first-teamer in 2013.
He helped a 2012 defensive unit record a pair of shutouts and rank 10th nationally in rushing yards allowed.
Schmidt’s first collegiate 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.
Schmidt received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from UND in 2002. He and his wife, Tiffany, have a daughter, Kennedy, and two sons, Harrison and Truman.
THE ERIC SCHMIDT FILE
Position: Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers Coach
Hometown: Mandan, N.D.
Education: North Dakota (2002)
Family: Eric and his wife Tiffany have a daughter, Kennedy, and two sons, Harrison and Truman.
CAREER IN FOOTBALL
AS A COACH
2024-present: San Diego State (defensive coordinator, linebackers)
2022-23: Washington (special teams coordinator, defensive ends)
2020-21: Fresno State (special teams coordinator, defensive line)
2019: North Dakota (defensive coordinator, defensive line)
2018: North Dakota (defensive coordinator, outside linebackers)
2014-17: North Dakota (defensive coordinator, inside linebackers)
2012-13: Southern Illinois (special teams coordinator, inside linebackers)
2010-11: Southern Illinois (defensive line)
2008-09: Southern Illinois (outside linebackers)
2006-07: North Dakota (linebackers)
2002-05: Crookston (Minn.) High School (head coach)
AS A PLAYER
1998-2001: North Dakota