San Diego State University (SDSU) has announced that Eric Schmidt has been named the new defensive coordinator for the Aztecs football team. Schmidt comes to SDSU after spending the past two seasons as the edge coach at the University of Washington (UW).
Schmidt brings a wealth of experience to the Aztecs program. He has been coaching college football for over a decade, with his first job coming as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Oregon in 2009. Since then, he has held positions at Boise State, Fresno State, and most recently UW.
At UW, Schmidt was part of a staff that helped the Huskies reach the College Football Playoff in 2016 and the Rose Bowl in 2017. He also helped develop several NFL-caliber players, including defensive end Vita Vea, who was selected 12th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Schmidt is excited to join the Aztecs and is looking forward to continuing to build on the program’s recent success. In the past three seasons, SDSU has won two Mountain West Conference championships and made three consecutive bowl appearances.
“I am thrilled to join the San Diego State family,” said Schmidt. “The Aztecs have had a great run of success in recent years and I am eager to help continue that success. I am confident that with hard work and dedication, we can make this program even better.”
SDSU head coach Rocky Long is also looking forward to having Schmidt on board. “Eric is a great addition to our staff,” said Long. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our program and I am confident that he will help us reach new heights.”
With Schmidt now in place, the Aztecs are poised to have another successful season in 2019. With his experience and knowledge, they could be in for a special year.