Stig and The Rise of South Dakota State Football

by Tanner Castora

In 1997, South Dakota State football was your everyday Division II program. Twenty-six years later, they were Division I national champions. This is the story of coach John "Stig" Stiegelmeier — the man who led the way — and the overlooked recruits who defied the odds, survived the grim transition to Division I, and steadily built a powerhouse program in the frozen plains of South Dakota. Discover how a program nobody seemed to believe in became the team nobody could beat. With over 135 interviews with Stig, former players and coaches, this is the definitive book on SDSU Football.

479 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2025

Reviews

[Austin Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanner Castora fills in the gaps of information for any Jackrabbit Football fan. From the history of the football program to the history of the man, Castora lays out a rich history of a program and coach who went from relative unknowns to beloved figures in the state of South Dakota. As someone who not only graduated from SDSU but was also part of the strength and conditioning staff, I was able to witness some of the what was detailed in this book. The nostalgia and the new information to those of us who were not privy to the inner workings of the program makes for such a wonderful read!

[Mwalkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read. One does not need to be a football junkie or a religious zealot to appreciate this depiction of a humble, simply good man as he lived his life following his dream and his passions. Castora kindly covered the raw human foibles and idiosyncrasies of an influential man to many, if not most, of us alumni from South Dakota State University and beyond.

[Jerry Mundt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this, especially since I lived in Peirson Hall(3rd north) when Stig was there. I knew Tim Wassom and “fingers” Mcphearson plus many others in the book. Good read.