MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State track and field program has found its new leader in a seasoned coach with plenty of NCAA Division I experience.

Minot State's Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations, Janna McKechnie, is pleased to introduce Erik Stevens as the Beavers' newest head coach. Stevens takes over leadership of the Minot State track and field program, replacing former coach Jordan Aus, who stepped down to fill the role of Associate Director of Athletics for Revenue and Ticketing in November.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Stevens to Minot State University," McKechnie said. "Coach Stevens brings a strong commitment to developing the whole student-athlete, and a clear vision for building a competitive, disciplined, and positive track and field program. We are confident his leadership will elevate our program both on and off the track."

Coach Stevens will begin his duties as the head track and field coach for the Beavers after the start of the new year.

"I want to start by thanking President Steven Shirley and Vice President for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Harmon, for this opportunity to lead the next phase of Minot State University track and field," Coach Stevens said. "I also want to thank Jordan Aus and the rest of the search committee for a great experience through the interview process.

"Minot State is a place where you can feel the support that is behind you as a coach," he added of his decision to pursue the Beaver head coaching position. "That is an important part of building a program. And the history of excellence that Minot State has in this sport is something that I want to bring back to the University as we start this new chapter together."

Coach Stevens steps into his role mid-season with the Beavers, who began the indoor track and field season with meets hosted by the University of Mary and North Dakota State earlier this month. The new coach will focus on quickly establishing an identity for the Minot State program moving forward in preparation for the Beavers' next meet, the Marauders Indoor Opener on Saturday, January 17, in Bismarck.

"The most important aspect to address is to bring stability and identity to who we want to be as a program," he said. "Bringing the student-athletes and coaches together to immediately determine that identity will be critical with me taking over the program at this time.

"Creating our identity is the most important first step," Coach Stevens added. "Then, if we can establish what our process is, and bring the focus to trusting that process, we can get some immediate results."

But Coach Stevens is looking beyond just leading the current Beaver student-athletes to success this season.

"We want this program to be the best track and field and cross-country program in the state of North Dakota," he said. "That is going to take a lot of work from our staff and our student-athletes. Identifying and recruiting the right student-athletes, who will help develop our identity and establish the championship mindset and culture, will help us to realize the goal of becoming a program that can continually be in a position to finish in the top five in our conference, and bring Minot State back to the forefront of track and field."

Coach Stevens takes over the Minot State track and field program after spending the last 3 1/2 seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I North Texas, where he led the distance runners and was the head cross-country coach for four seasons.

During his time at North Texas, Coach Stevens guided two cross-country runners to the NCAA National Championship, and the women's cross-country team finished 5^th in the American Athletic Conference in 2024, the team's best finish since 2017. In track and field, he guided the distance runners to five new school records and four American Athletic Conference/Sun Belt Conference championships.

Prior to his time with the Mean Green, he spent one season as head cross-country coach and the assistant track and field coach for distance runners at NCAA Division I Texas State, and also served as a volunteer assistant coach at NCAA Division I Florida State for one year, spent two years as a volunteer assistant coach at NCAA Division I Georgia, and two years as a volunteer assistant coach at NCAA Division I UCLA.

A 2006 graduate of Arizona with a degree in History Education and a minor in kinesiology and coaching, Coach Stevens holds USATF Level 1 & 2 certifications and is a USTFCCCA Endurance Specialist.