Jay Schlichte enters his second season as the offensive line coach at the University of Sioux Falls in 2026 after making an immediate impact on the Cougar offense during his first year with the program.
In 2025, Schlichte's offensive line served as the foundation of one of the NSIC's most balanced and productive offenses. The Cougars totaled 4,767 yards of offense and averaged 433.4 yards and 30.6 points per game. Up front, Schlichte's unit paved the way for 1,890 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns while also protecting a passing attack that threw for 2,877 yards and 24 touchdowns. The offensive line helped USF convert nearly 50 percent of its third-down opportunities and controlled the tempo of games by averaging more than 33 minutes of possession per contest.
Schlichte also played a key role in the development of one of the conference's top offensive lines, helping Ben Pederson and Caden Maas earn Second Team All-NSIC honors. His unit's physicality, discipline and consistency allowed the Cougars to establish themselves as one of the premier offensive teams in the conference.
Schlichte joined The Coo ahead of the 2025 season following a highly successful tenure at Morningside University, where he served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, his offenses averaged more than 430 yards and 36 points per game, continuing Morningside's tradition as one of the premier offensive programs in NAIA football.
During his time with the Mustangs, Schlichte helped capture two NAIA National Championships and five GPAC Championships while developing six All-American offensive linemen. His offensive lines protected back-to-back NAIA Player of the Year quarterbacks, paved the way for five 1,000-yard rushers and helped lead the nation by allowing just 21 sacks over a four-year span.
Prior to Morningside, Schlichte gained coaching experience at the University of Dubuque while establishing a strong recruiting footprint throughout the Midwest and beyond.
A native of Minnesota, Schlichte was a tight end at the University of Minnesota Duluth before transitioning into coaching. His championship pedigree, player development expertise and commitment to building physical, disciplined offensive lines have quickly made him an integral part of the University of Sioux Falls football program.
Updated 6/17/2026
