Rutgers Targeting South Dakota Head Coach Travis Johansen for Defensive Coordinator

Johansen led the Coyotes to the FCS quarterfinals last season.

South Dakota head football coach Travis Johansen has emerged as the target for the defensive coordinator role at Rutgers. | Jonathan Fernandez/Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rutgers is targeting South Dakota head coach Travis Johansen as the school’s next defensive coordinator under Greg Schiano, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The veteran defensive coordinator led a top-five unit in the FCS as the South Dakota defensive coordinator in 2024, before being promoted to head coach last season. As head coach of the Coyotes, Johansen led the program to the FCS quarterfinals in ‘25. The school finished No. 11 nationally in the final FCS rankings.

Johansen has never coached at the FBS level, but has 14 years of defensive coordinating experience, including stops at Concordia-St. Paul and Grand View before taking the job as South Daokta's defensive coordinator in 2019.

He is set to replace Robb Smith, who was fired along with several other members of the Rutgers defensive staff following a relatively poor season on that side of the football for the 5-7 Scarlet Knights.

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