New running backs coach Jimmy Beal excited to get to work for South Dakota State

When South Dakota State offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness left the Jackrabbits for Northern Illinois in February it led to a reshuffling of the team’s coaching staff.

Offensive line coach Jason Eck took over as coordinator and running backs coach Zach Lujan slid over to coach the quarterbacks, the position he played for the Jackrabbits just a couple years ago.

That left an opening at running backs coach, and the Jacks hired longtime Northern Arizona assistant Jimmy Beal to fill the role. A former FCS running back himself at Montana State, Beal spent the last nine seasons in Flagstaff, where he primarily coached running backs but also assisted on special teams. The Lumberjacks made two FCS playoff appearances during Beal’s tenure, including in 2013 when their season ended at the hands of the Jacks.

More:Young quarterbacks impress in South Dakota State spring football game

Beal hit the ground running in Brookings, arriving just as spring practice began, and he inherited arguably the most talented position group on the Jackrabbit roster. Sophomore Pierre Strong rushed for over 1,000 in barely 100 carries last year, senior Mikey Daniel scored 10 touchdowns to go with 630 yards, while sophomore C.J. Wilson appeared headed for a breakout season before he was slowed by an injury.

The newest member of the Jacks staff was in Arizona recruiting this week when he took some time to talk about his new job.

MZ: How did your move to SDSU come about after nine years in Arizona?

JB: Coach Eck and I had a Montana State connection – he worked under Rob Ash, who was one of my mentors, so we kind of came from the same coaching tree. The more we talked and looked into things the more connections we realized we had, and it kind of went from there.

MZ: Was it hard to leave after nine years there?

JB: It was really difficult. Having been so invested in NAU made it really tough, just because of how involved I was with the community and the youth programs and things like that, the FCA – I had been doing that so long that after nine years you start to see kids from the youth programs all the sudden are in high school. That was really cool. And obviously then the relationships you build with people and the community and the school over the course of nine years, but once I got up to Brookings to meet with (head coach John Stiegelmeier), saw the facilities and the community, it felt a lot like NAU, and it’s a little closer to where I played ball, at Montana State.

MZ: Was it weird or difficult jumping directly into spring practice without having had any time to really acclimate yourself?

JB: It was great, because I love coaching. It was an easy transition because it was just work, work, work. The mind doesn’t wander when you’re trying to learn an offense and learn 110 guys’ names. I was too busy to notice how fast everything was going, but it was awesome the way the guys supported me right away. The offensive staff has been great – they’re intelligent guys who have fun and they’ve been really welcoming of some of my ideas.

MZ: It’s got to be fun to take over a group like the one you’ve got with that running backs room.

JB: They’re amazing. Every single one of them has a different aspect that helps the offense. They all complement each other very well. Starting with Mikey, as a senior, he’s such a stable, intelligent player, and he’s really helped me learn the playbook and know some of the concepts. Everyone thinks of him as the ‘big back’, but he’s elusive. He can run.

Then Pierre – that guy’s ability to run and be patient but explosive is really amazing. He’s one of the best guys I’ve worked with in being able to put his foot down and set up his blocks.

Then C.J., man, he’s the firecracker. He can make somebody miss in a phone booth. The ability he has to get 1 on 1 in the perimeter is amazing, but don’t let that fool you, he’ll put his shoulder down and run through the tackles for those tough two yards, too. He’s got so much upside.

But the workhorse is (fullback) Luke Sellers. He’s been so refreshing. I love fullbacks, and he’s one of the best blocking backs I’ve worked with, which is saying something because I had an all-conference fullback at NAU. It’s a complete room and I feel blessed to be a part of it.

More:Q&A with South Dakota State offensive coordinator Jason Eck

MZ: Are there enough carries to go around?

JB: Coach Eck already understands the dynamic of the room. Our guys will have their own packages and their own roles and they cheer for each other on the sideline because they know they’ll all get their opportunity and they have to make the most of it.

MZ: It’s going to be different this year without (quarterback) Taryn Christion. Have you talked as a group about how the role of the running backs will be different with a new quarterback?

JB: We talked about how we’re more of the veteran crew in the backfield. The new quarterback coming in won’t have played a lot of football but each of the running backs has. So I hold them accountable to lead the offense and motivate them to get guys lined up and be a vocal part of the offense. If we have to step up so they can lean on us I know the guys are in favor of that.

MZ: Have you liked what you’ve seen from the quarterbacks?

JB: Yeah – we got to go live on the quarterbacks all spring and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that. It really helped us get a feel for how tough the guys are and how well they make decisions on their feet and step up when they need to. Those guys are all doing a great job.