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If a picture is worth a thousand words, Colorado School of Mines football is trying to rewrite the whole book. Gone are the goofy media day photos that once earned the Division-II Orediggers a cult following. The viral pigtails, Friar cuts, half-beards, and dyed eyebrows gave way this year to navy blazers and locked-in looks. After years of near-misses and downright disappointment, football in Golden this season feels less like a meme and more like a mission.
The buttoned-down photos reflect the attitude of 61-year-old head coach Bob Stitt, who put Mines football on the map more than a decade ago and returns to the Orediggers’ sideline. The program’s winningest coach replaces Pete Sterbick, one of three men to lead Mines since Stitt left the program in 2015 to take the top job at Montana. It’s been an uneven ride for both coach and program: Stitt was fired from the Grizzlies after just three seasons, and the Orediggers have come up short on its national title hopes—including back-to-back championship-game losses in 2022 and 2023, and an underwhelming 2024.
Mines can call last season’s 8-3 performance a disappointment because of Stitt’s standards. When the coach took over in 1999, the program had won less than 35 percent of its games over the previous 70 years. Under Stitt, the losing stopped. He racked up 110 wins, three NCAA playoff appearances, and a reputation as an offensive innovator. Mines’ pass-heavy attack lit up scoreboards and drew interest from major college coaches who wanted to borrow a few pages from Stitt’s playbook.
Post-Stitt, there was lots of success but none of the stability. Gregg Brandon, the coach’s successor, retired after the 2021 season. Brandon Moore lasted one year before taking the head job at the University of San Diego. Sterbick stuck around a bit longer but departed this January to become offensive coordinator at FCS runner-up Montana State. Two weeks later—after a year calling offensive plays at Valor Christian—Stitt reclaimed the program he built. “There is no doubt in my mind this is the best job in Division II football, and I take the responsibility of maintaining the football excellence that has been established here very seriously,” Stitt said in a statement after his hiring. “Our staff will work diligently to put our players in a position to win championships at the highest level each and every season.”
Stitt has the roster to back it up. Mines’ typically high-octane offense has weapons, with wide receiver Flynn Schiele and running backs Landon Walker and Braelon Tate returning last season’s combined 2,581 yards and 28 touchdowns. That experience should help ease the transition for new starting quarterback Joe Capra, a dual-threat who saw parts of seven games last season and piled up 601 yards and five touchdowns.
But this won’t just be an offensive show. Mines brings back a tough, veteran defense that’s led by defensive tackle Joey Beckner (7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2024), defensive lineman Dominic Caggiano (2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks) and cornerback Jackson Zimmerman (seven pass break-ups and one interception). Then there’s Matt Eich—the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s top kicker—who went seven-for-seven on field goals less than 50 yards.
Of course, none of this guarantees wins for Stitt & Co. 2.0. CSU Pueblo and Western Colorado remain RMAC contenders, and Mines dropped both games last year. If the new-old coach can figure a way around those challengers, it’s easy to imagine Mines back in championship contention. And if the Orediggers finally win it all, you can bet Stitt’s players will have something to smile about next picture day.
5280 Record Prediction: 8-3
Can’t-Miss Matchup
vs. CSU Pueblo, November 8: The ThunderWolves are ranked No. 6 nationally and remain a major hurdle for Mines. There’s lots of firepower here too, including last season’s RMAC Player of the Year Reggie Retzlaff, who put up 1,228 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Retzlaff lit up Mines for two scores in a 28–13 win, which (incredibly) was the Orediggers’ most lopsided regular-season loss since 2017. In other words: The RMAC crown goes through Pueblo. And if added juice is needed for this year’s matchup, the game lands on Mines’ senior day.
Find the Orediggers’ schedule here.
3 Players to Watch
Flynn Schiele, wide receiver: Even with a reigning All-American lined up on the other side of the field in teammate Max McLeod, it was Schiele who was Mines’ most productive wide receiver last season. The 6-foot-4 redshirt senior finished 2024 with 1,195 receiving yards—the fifth-most among all D-II players—and 12 touchdown catches. Those numbers earned him second-team All-American honors and a nomination for the Harlon Hill Trophy, D-II’s version of the Heisman Trophy. Schiele needs to adjust to a new starting quarterback, but Stitt’s creative offense should see him shine.
Landon Walker, running back: Walker joins Schiele as the only Mines player named to the preseason All-RMAC first team. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder rushed for a team-high 741 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also averaged an impressive 6.2 yards per carry. Four of his end zone trips came in a 31-28 victory against Washburn last September, which set a Mines single-game record.
Jackson Zimmerman, cornerback: Last season came with immense expectations for the Highlands Ranch native. But after a 2023 campaign in which Zimmerman had a conference-leading six interceptions and was named a first-team All-American, opposing QBs got the memo and stopped throwing in his direction. The Valor Christian grad snagged just one interception in 2024, but still logged a team-high seven pass break-ups. Regardless of the stats, Zimmerman is the Orediggers’ defensive centerpiece.
Read More: If You’re Not Paying Attention to the Colorado School of Mines’ Football Team, You Should Be
