Bison Football
Defensive Coaching Staff
.jpg)
Scott Hazelton
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Scottie Hazelton begins his second season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at North Dakota State University. He directed the Bison defensive unit’s dramatic turnaround in 2010. NDSU ranked 7th nationally in both scoring defense (18.21 ppg) and turnover margin (+1.07 avg.), and 15th in pass efficiency defense and 19th in sacks.
It’s his sixth year in the program. Hazelton was defensive line coach for NDSU from 2007-09. He was a former graduate assistant for the Bison in 2000 and 2001. Hazelton worked closely with Casey "Gus" Bradley, who is currently defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks and former NDSU assistant coach when he began his career.
Hazelton has been a part of several impressive defensive coaching staffs since coming back to Fargo. In the 2008, North Dakota State led the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in pass defense (116.82 ypg), and ranked 3rd in sacks (3.36 avg/g), 5th in total defense (254 ypg) and tackles for loss (8.55 avg/g), and 19th in scoring defense (19.18 ypg).
In the 2007 FCS statistics, the Bison were ranked 18th in defensive third down efficiency (33.3 percent) and 22nd in rushing defense (126.5 ypg).
Hazelton was the linebackers coach at Michigan Tech in 2006 after spending two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator at Missouri Southern State. He was also the defensive backs coach for two seasons at St. Olaf College in Minnesota
He played collegiate football at Fort Lewis College in Colorado and began his coaching career there in 1996 working with the defensive secondary and serving as interim defensive coordinator.
Hazelton was a graduate assistant at NDSU for two seasons under then Bison head coach and current Chicago Bears assistant Bob Babich before moving on to St. Olaf.
Scott and his wife, Brooke, have two daughters, Ava and Sophie, and a son, Bode West.
AJ Cooper
Defensive Ends Coach
AJ Cooper begins his sixth season with the North Dakota State University coaching staff, his third as defensive ends coach. He has worked with the offensive line and tight ends as a student assistant and graduate assistant with the program.
Cooper, who also is the program’s camp director and academic liaison, was part of the Bison defensive unit’s dramatic turnaround in 2010. NDSU ranked 7th nationally in both scoring defense (18.21 ppg) and turnover margin (+1.07 avg.), and 15th in pass efficiency defense and 19th in sacks.
A 2006 graduate of NDSU, Cooper earned honorable mention Football Gazette Division I-AA All-America honors at tight end for the Bison in 2005. He caught 24 passes for 473 yards (19.7 ypr) and four touchdowns as a senior.
Cooper, who earned first team all-Great West Football Conference all-Northwest Region honors, signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2006 and received an extended look at training camp.
A native of Flagstaff, Ariz.., Cooper transferred to North Dakota State from Glendale Community College. He caught 44 passes for 578 yards and eight TDs to lead all JUCO tight ends in each category.
Nick Goeser
Defensive Tackles Coach
Nick Goeser begins his second season as the named defensive tackles coach at North Dakota State University. He was part of the Bison defensive unit’s dramatic turnaround in 2010. NDSU ranked 7th nationally in both scoring defense (18.21 ppg) and turnover margin (+1.07 avg.), and 15th in pass efficiency defense and 19th in sacks.
Goeser came to Fargo from the successful University of Minnesota-Duluth program, where he was the defensive line and outside linebackers coach. UMD went 15-0 and won the 2008 NCAA Division II national championship. The Bulldogs were 11-2 in 2009 and advanced to the quarterfinals. In the final 2009 NCAA statistics, the UMD defense finished 2nd in scoring defense (12.5 ppg), 4th in rushing defense (69.1 ypg) and 5th in total defense (251.0 ypg).
Prior to heading to Duluth, Goeser served as an assistant coach in charge of the defensive ends at Augustana College (Ill.) in 2005 and 2006. The Vikings won two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championships and made one NCAA Division III playoff appearance.
In 2003 and 2004, Goeser was a member of the Marietta College (Ohio) football staff as a defensive line coach. He helped rebuild a Pioneer team which had gone 2-8 in his debut season to a 6-4 club the following fall.
A native of Scandinavia, Wis., Goeser played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he was a four-year starting defensive lineman and a 2002 all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honoree. He played an integral part in helping the Blugolds post back-to-back 8-2 seasons during his final two years in Eau Claire and claiming the 2001 WIAC title. He captained the team as a senior.
A three-sport standout (football, basketball, and baseball) at Iola-Scandinavia High School, Goeser received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2003 and his master’s degree in education from Marietta College two years later.
Chris Klieman
Defensive Backs Coach
Chris Klieman was named defensive backs coach at North Dakota State University. NDSU head coach Craig Bohl made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday, March 8.
Klieman spent nine seasons at the University of Northern Iowa as defensive coordinator, co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 2006-10 under head coach Mark Farley and 1991-93 under then head coach Terry Allen.
As defensive coordinator in 2009, Klieman led a UNI defensive unit that finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense (13.2 ppg). The Panthers also led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing defense, passing defense and total defense, giving up a mere 267.2 yards per game. UNI held six of its 11 opponents to seven points or less during the 2009 season.
Under Klieman’s direction as co-defensive coordinator in 2008, the Panthers ranked No. 4 in the nation in turnover margin and No. 9 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers forced 40 turnovers in 2008, which included 24 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries.
In 2007, the Panthers had 11 different players intercept passes. The 11 players tallied a total of 21 interceptions.
Klieman’s first year of his return to coaching the Panthers’ secondary in 2006 was marked by Dre Dokes leading the nation with seven interceptions. Chris Parsons also tallied six interceptions to finish in a tie for second in the nation.
He was a three-time all-conference defensive back for the Panthers and a four-year letterwinner from 1986-1990.
Klieman came back to his alma mater after serving as the Loras College head football coach in 2005. Prior to being named the Duhawk head coach, Klieman served as the Loras defensive coordinator and turned them into one of the Iowa Conference’s most feared defensive units. When he took over, the Duhawk defense was ninth in the conference. In 2004, the defense set a school record for fewest rushing yards allowed and saw three players earn all-conference honors. The 933 yards allowed on the ground (93.3 per game) was the top number in the Iowa Conference and was also 21st overall in NCAA Division III. The 2005 defense led the Iowa Conference in rush defense (121.4), pass defense (161.0 ypg) and total defense (282.4).
After his playing career was over, Klieman served as an assistant coach for the Panthers from 1991-93. Klieman also had assistant coaching stints at Loras (2001-2004), Missouri State (1999), Kansas (1997) and Western Illinois (1994-1996).
Klieman earned both his bachelor’s (health education, 1990) and master’s (physical education, 1992) degrees from UNI. Chris and his wife, Rhonda, are the parents of two sons, Devin and Colby and one daughter, Haley.
John Richardson
Defensive Graduate Assistant
John Richardson begins his third season with the North Dakota State football program and his first as the defensive graduate assistant. He was a student assistant in 2009 and 2010.
Richardson was a two-year starter at cornerback for the Bison in 2007 and 2008 after transferring from Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, Calif.). In 22 games for NDSU, he was credited with 85 tackles including 57 solos, 19 passes defended, a pair of interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
A native of Lakewood, Calif., Richardson graduated in December 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in sports and recreation leadership. He was named to the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll.
