O’Gorman Knights Hire Jayson Poppinga as Head Coach

In a letter that was released to parents in Pierre, Jayson Poppinga said he has resigned as Pierre's head football coach and will be the new coach at O'Gorman.

Gidal Kaiser of the Capital Journal reported the resignation on Wednesday afternoon. Poppinga led Pierre to a Class AA championship in 2013.

In the letter to Pierre parents and players, Poppinga acknowledges that he is off to O'Gorman.

"I am resigning my position as science teacher and football coach of the Governors at the end of the school year to begin the next chapter in our family’s life as the head football coach of the O’Gorman Knights. I will always remember with pride my time that I got to spend leading the Pierre football program. Thank you for the hard work put in by the athletes, coaching staff, and parents to make the Governor Football program one of the best in the state of South Dakota. If there is ever anything I can do to help your son in the future, please do not hesitate to ask."

The Knights have also made the official announcement.

Poppinga led Pierre back to the Class AA Championship in 2015, but lost a close game to Yankton on a 2 point attempt. Overall, Poppinga went 23-10 in three seasons in Pierre. He replaces long-time head coach Steve Kueter.