BISMARCK, N.D. — Bismarck State College has named Chris Stutzriem as 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 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 Mystic Nation!"
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 (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, 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.
