Recruiting Area: Minnesota (763, 651, 952, and 612)
Brian Bergstrom enters his fifth season at Augustana in 2017, his fourth as defensive coordinator. Bergstrom coached linebackers for the Vikings and was also the team’s special teams coordinator in 2013 before being promoted to defensive coordinator.
Bergstrom’s defense ranked fifth in high-scoring NSIC in 2016, holding opponents to 26.5 points per game. Augustana finished the year forcing 14 turnovers and recording 26 sacks, marking the second straight season with 20-plus sacks.
Four defensive players earned All-NSIC honors in 2016, including first team selections Kirby Hora and Bryson Hamilton. Hamilton went on to earn Don Hansen All-America Honorable Mention honors and the duo were also both awarded for their success in the classroom. Hora and Hamilton earned CoSIDA Academic All-District VII honors before being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team.
Hamilton had a big senior season for Augustana in 2016, finishing with 44 tackles and a career-high 7.0 sacks. Hamilton finished one sack shy of tying the single season record and ended the year with 11.5 tackles for loss. Hora led the NSIC with 110 tackles in 2016, which ranked 30th in the country. Hora had 11 or more tackles in five of 11 games and finished the year with two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and an interception.
Augustana had six players earn All-NSIC honors in 2015, including four first team selections. Chad Curry, Jamal Samaha, Bryson Hamilton and Brandon Mohr all earned All-NSIC First Team honors. Curry, Samaha, and Mohr went on to earn all-region honors and Samaha was named to the Don Hansen All-America Honorable Mention team.
Augustana’s defense forced 23 turnovers last season, ranking fifth in the NSIC with 13 interceptions. The Vikings ranked seventh in the NSIC allowing just 146.8 rushing yards per game. Augustana recorded 24 quarterback sacks in 2015, led by Jamal Samaha, who tied the single season record with 8.0 sacks. Samaha recorded a career-high 34 tackles during the season and also tied a single game record with 3.0 sacks against Southwest Minnesota State on Oct. 10.
Headlining Bergstrom’s defense in 2015 was senior linebacker Brandon Mohr who earned his third straight All-NSIC selection being named to the first team. Mohr missed two games in 2015 due to injury but returned for the playoff appearance. He led the team and finished third in the NSIC with 97 tackles, including 55 solo stops.
The defensive backfield was a veteran group that battled through injuries in 2015. Justin Brown, who played in 10 of 12 games, led the team with three interceptions to go along with 16 tackles on the season. Garrett Earl, who played in just six games after suffering a broken foot, recorded 17 tackles. Safeties Chad Curry and Trevor Naasz finished fourth and fifth respectively in tackles on the team in 2015. Curry recorded 72 tackles (36 solo) and two interceptions and Naasz pitched in with 68 tackles (38 solo) and an interception.
Redshirt freshman Kirby Hora emerged as a mainstay in the middle of Bergstrom’s defense at linebacker in 2015. Hora finished third on the team with 75 tackles (40 solo) and earned All-NSIC Honorable Mention honors in his first season on the field for the Vikings.
In 2014, Augustana’s defense allowed the third fewest points per game in the NSIC giving up just 18.5 per game. The Vikings also allowed the third fewest first downs (217) and ranked sixth in the league in red zone defense at 77.8 percent.
Three of Augustana’s nine All-NSIC performers in 2014 were on the defensive side of the ball, including the squad’s lone first team selection Ben Skelly. Skelly recorded 90 tackles in 2014 to go along with a team-high 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He nearly filled every category on the defensive stat sheet picking up two interceptions, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and four passes defended. Skelly went on to earn an invite to the National Bowl Game, a showcase of All-American and All-Conference seniors from around the nation representing Division II, Division III and NAIA schools.
Bergstrom coached second team All-NSIC selection and the team’s leading tackler in Brandon Mohr. Mohr led the team with 106 tackles in 2014 which ranked fifth amongst all players in the NSIC. Mohr finished the season with 47 solo tackles and recorded 3.5 tackles for loss to earn his second straight All-NSIC Second Team honor.
Augustana’s special teams play was outstanding in 2013 as the Vikings ranked in the top 11 in the nation in two categories. Augustana led the NSIC and ranked 11th in all of Division II allowing just 15.9 yards per kick return and led the league and ranked 10th in the country with three blocked punts.
Teagan Brown (Defensive Back) led the nation returning two blocked punts for touchdowns during 2013, to lead the nation in punt return touchdowns.
Augustana kickers were 9 of 16 on field goal attempts on the season but were 27 of 28 on PAT attempts with Lucas Wainman hitting 10 of 10 and Ben Albrecht 16 of 16. Wainman, who missed seven games due to injury, nailed a school record 53-yard field goal in the season opener against MSU Moorhead on Sept. 7.
Bergstrom coached two All-NSIC performers at linebacker, including first team selection Ben Skelly who led the team and ranked sixth in the NSIC with 99 total tackles on the season. Brandon Mohr, who missed one game due to injury, was named second team All-NSIC and compiled 92 tackles on the season, including 9.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Prior to Augustana, Bergstrom served as defensive backs and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Minnetonka (Minnesota) High School for two seasons.
He was the defensive coordinator at Gustavus Adolphus from 2006-2011 in addition to teaching in the Health and Exercise Science Department. He served one season as the defensive coordinator at Crown College (Saint Bonifacius, Minn.)
Bergstrom was a graduate assistant coaching linebackers at St. Cloud State from 2003-2005. He was also the Huskies’ strength and conditioning coordinator. For one season (2002-2003) he was an assistant varsity football coach at Shakopee (Minnesota) High School.
He majored in health fitness at Gustavus, earning his BA in 2002. He received a master’s degree in sports management from St. Cloud State in 2005.
As a member of the Gustavus football squad (1998-2001) he served as captain and earned team MVP and All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference recognition. He was also an academic All-America.
Bergstrom and his wife, Kate, are the parents of two sons, Krayton and Beckett and one daughter Berkley.
