BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) — The SDSU football team is just 12 days removed from their National Championship, but the team announced big news on Thursday.

“Please help me welcome the twenty-first head football coach at South Dakota State University, Jimmy Rogers,” SDSU Director of Athletics Justin Sell said.

For the first time in 26 years, the SDSU football team will have a new man in charge. Jimmy Rogers takes over the program, following a 26 year career, by the winningest coach in program history, John Stiegelmeier.

Missouri Valley Coach of the Year, John Stiegelmeier, celebrates his first national championship win.

“It’s just upholding the standard that you have for yourself. I know what he’s done here, but I’m confident in my ability,” Rogers said. “Will I ever have that impact of 35 years? Maybe not, but I’m going to step into this and take it full charge.”

Rogers played under coach Stiegelmeier from 2006-2009.

“One of the first questions that he asked was ‘why don’t you think you’re being recruited’ and I gave him my response and his response was, ‘I don’t care. We believe in you.’ I would say those words, changed my life,” Rogers said.

“To see him grow in this program, from graduate assistant, to assistant coach, to coordinator, to defensive coordinator. Certainly, he had all of those characteristics that are important to us. There’s a way to win at South Dakota State, that our fans understand,” Sell said.

Now, Rogers will take over a program that returns a majority of their starters, from their National Championship roster.

“Next fall, you’ll see a spirited team. Hopefully you got a taste of that in the defense and how we played this season. I’m just happy to put that touch on the rest of the team as well,” Rogers said.