One of the most fun parts of running SGI as our hobby, is to sit down and get to know the coaches of the NAIA, FCS, DII, and DIII colleges and universities that are based in the State of Iowa.
We founded SGI to cover these 22 Iowa Universities and Colleges to be able to tell the player and coaches stories and provide content to our readers. FYI – We cover every University other than the three state schools – Iowa, Iowa State, and University of Northern Iowa who as public universities get ample coverage today.
So, we were excited to start a series of coach interviews to add to our podcast lineup. Briar Cliff football is a very young football program (only started in 2003) that just finished on last Saturday their 2025 season with a record 6 wins.
The work it takes to build a football program is huge and Briar Cliff is also playing in one of the toughest NAIA football conferences in the US. The GPAC has Iowa powerhouses like Morningside (city rival), Dordt and Northwestern College all within an hour of their campus. These schools are national powers and Morningside and Northwestern have won 4 of the last 7 National titles.
Coach LaDage and the Briar Cliff Athletic program are building a football program brick by brick and starting to make noise.
We wanted to interview coach and tell the Charger Football Story. See link to podcast below.
The Briar Cliff Chargers are committed to building a NAIA football program and a top-notch athletic program, and on the day of our podcast (11.12.25) recording, made a very big announcement.
Dan McDermott returns to the Cliff as the new Athletic Director on December 1st. McDermott is no stranger to Briar Cliff. From 1988 to 1997, he served as the Head Baseball Coach and Assistant Professor of Health and Kinesiology, leading the Chargers to national prominence and leaving as the winningest coach in program history. He was later inducted into the Briar Cliff Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his lasting impact on Charger athletics.
MCDERMOTT NAMED ATHLETIC DIRECTOR – Briar Cliff University
That move speaks volumes to the commitment of Briar Cliff leadership to their athletic programs, and we at SGI say…here, here. A move we heartily approve, and that will be great for the School and the Charger Athletes.
We hope you enjoy the podcast, and we appreciate your support and comments.
