THE SCHMIDT FILE

PERSONAL

Year in Coaching: 18th in 2026
Year at K-State: First in 2026
Hometown: San Diego, California
Education: San Diego State, 2009 (Bachelor's in Criminal Justice)
Wife: Jennifer
Children: Brayden, Beau

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2009-11: San Diego State (Offensive Graduate Assistant)
2012-20: San Diego State (Offensive Line)
2021: Syracuse (Offensive Line)
2022: Syracuse (Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line)
2023: Mississippi State (Running Game Coordinator/Tight Ends and Tackles)
2024-25: San Diego State (Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line)
2026: K-State (Offensive Line)

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE

2010: Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego State)
2011: New Orleans Bowl (San Diego State)
2012: Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego State)
2013: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (San Diego State)
2014: Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego State)
2015: Hawai'i Bowl (San Diego State)
2016: Las Vegas Bowl (San Diego State)
2017: Armed Forces Bowl (San Diego State)
2018: Frisco Bowl (San Diego State)
2019: New Mexico Bowl (San Diego State)
2022: Pinstripe Bowl (Syracuse)
2025: New Mexico Bowl (San Diego State)

Mike Schmidt, who has helped teams rank in the top 30 nationally in rushing offense seven times in his 14 seasons as a full-time assistant coach, is in his first season tutoring the Kansas State offensive line in 2026.

Schmidt comes to K-State after working the past two seasons as the rung game coordinator and offensive line coach at his alma mater, San Diego State. It was his second stint with the Aztecs as he also served as a graduate assistant from 2009 through 2011 and as the offensive line coach from 2012 through 2020. He has also worked at two Power 4 schools, guiding the Syracuse offensive line in 2021 and 2022 – the latter of which he was the run game coordinator – while he was the run game coordinator and worked with the tight ends and tackles at Mississippi State in 2023.

This past season at San Diego State, Schmidt coached an offensive line that led the way for a rushing attack that averaged 198.7 yards per game to rank 20th in the nation during a nine-win campaign. The Aztecs tallied six games with at least 200 rushing yards, culminating with a 326-yard, five-touchdown output against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. Schmidt tutored Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli to All-Mountain West First Team honors in addition to Christian Jones to second-team honors and Bayo Kannike to honorable-mention accolades.

Prior to returning to San Diego State and his one-year stint at Mississippi State, Schmidt spent two seasons at Syracuse as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach. In his first season with the Orange, Schmidt’s offensive line ranked 16th in the nation – and tops in the ACC – with 213.5 rushing yards per game while they ranked 20th nationally and third in the conference by averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He coached Matthew Bergeron to All-ACC Honorable Mention accolades, while he picked up second-team honors in 2022. Bergeron went on to be selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Atlanta.

Syracuse’s 2,562 rushing yards in 2021 was the fifth most in school history, while they blocked for Sean Tucker, who ranked fourth nationally by averaging 124.7 rushing yards per game en route to First Team All-America honors and being named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards. Additionally, quarterback Garrett Shrade ran behind Schmidt’s line to the tune of 781 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, the second most ever by a Syracuse running back.

Schmidt’s offensive lines dominated the running game during his first tenure at SDSU. The Aztecs ranked 16th nationally by combining to average 207.0 rushing yards per game from 2012 through 2020, while they ranked 24th in yards per attempt (4.8) and tied for 29th in rushing touchdowns (227).

Including his time as an offensive graduate assistant coach, San Diego State played in 10-straight bowl games from 2010 through 2019 and posted four 10-win seasons over the final six years of his first tenure.

Across his nine seasons as a full-time coach during his first tenure at San Diego State, Schmidt oversaw 15 different offensive linemen earn All-Mountain West honors, including six first-team recipients in his final six seasons. He also mentored multiple NFL Draft selections, including Nico Siragusa (2017 – Baltimore), Terry Poole (2015 – Seattle) and Keith Ismael (2020 – Washington).

During the 2020 campaign, San Diego State’s offensive line made the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll for best offensive line in the country, allowing just one sack in 219 passing plays (0.46 pct) and only two pressures (0.91 pct). Kyle Spalding headed up the group, earning All-Mountain West First Team honors, while Zachary Thomas picked up second-team accolades.

The 2019 season saw three of Schmidt’s lineman earn all-conference honors. Ismael, a first-team selection, was graded as the second-best center in the nation by Pro Football Focus. Both guards, Daishawn Dixon and William Dunkle, also garnered second-team and honorable-mention accolades, respectively. The year prior, Schmidt coached two All-Mountain West performers in Ismael (first team) and Ryan Pope (second team).

Schmidt’s offensive line in 2017 was young and inexperienced, but he turned into a force that paved the way for Consensus All-American running back Rashaad Penny, who led the nation with 2,027 rushing yards. As a result, Tyler Roemer garnered Freshman All-America honors from USA TODAY, joining Ismael, also a redshirt freshman, on the All-Mountain West second team. That season, SDSU ranked 10^th in the nation by rushing for 252.5 yards per game.

The 2016 Aztecs set program records in rushing yards (3,680), rushing touchdowns (34), rushing yards per carry (5.8) and points (493) behind Schmidt’s offensive line, which was led by Siragusa, a First Team All-America selection. Schmidt’s unit helped San Diego State rank seventh nationally with an average of 262.9 rushing yards per game.

Under Schmidt’s tutelage, Siragusa and Pearce Slater both earned All-Mountain West First team honors in 2015, the first time in conference history that the Aztecs had two first-teamers on the offensive line and first time in any league since 1998. It was also the fourth-straight season multiple linemen earned all-conference honors. The Aztecs finished the season ranked fifth nationally in red zone offense (94.1%), 14th in rushing yards per game (233.3) and 17th in time of possession (32:43).

In 2014, Schmidt coached two All-Mountain West recipients in Poole (first team) and Darrell Greene (honorable mention), marking the third straight season that at least two Aztec offensive linemen were honored by the league. He paved the way for a line that averaged 216.1 rushing yards per game to rank 26th in the country. The year prior, the Aztecs ran for at least 2,000 yards and produced a 1,000-yard rusher for the fifth-straight year as Bryce Quigley (second team) and Poole (honorable mention) were both earned all-conference honors.

His first year as a full-time coach, Schmidt guided three players – Nik Embernate (first team), Alec Johnson (second team) and Quigley (honorable mention) – to All-Mountain West honors, which led the way for a school-record 2,869 rushing yards. The Aztecs finished Schmidt’s inaugural season as a full-time coach ranked 20^th in the nation with 220.7 rushing yards per game.

Schmidt received his start in coaching as an offensive graduate assistant – working primarily with the offensive line – at San Diego State from 2009 to 2011. While in that role, the Aztecs ranked tied for fifth nationally in fewest sacks allowed (0.69 per game) in 2010 and seventh (0.85 per game) in 2011.

A native of San Diego, California, Schmidt played offensive line for the Aztecs from 2005 to 2008, including serving as a team captain his senior season. A former walk-on as a defensive lineman, he changed sides of the ball and earned a scholarship in the fall of 2007.

Schmidt graduated from San Diego State with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in the fall of 2009. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Brayden and Beau.