Black Hills State University Athletics

John Reiners is in his eighth year as head coach of the Black Hills State University football team, earning the distinction of the 28^th head coach in school history after spending three years (2009-2011) as the offensive and recruiting coordinator.

Following the 2018 season, five Yellow Jackets earned All-RMAC Honorable Mention, while 10 players were named RMAC Academic honorees. 

During the 2017 season, the Yellow Jacket defense held opponents to a 33% success rate on third down conversions, which was good for second in the RMAC. Their 23 forced turnovers was also good for second in the conference. The offense also flourished in 2017, with the Green and Gold putting up over 400 passing yards in five games en route to the second highest passing yards per game in the RMAC. Paris finished his four-year career following the 2017 season holding every rushing record for BHSU, including 4,144 career rushing yards. Paris was one of three Yellow Jackets to earn Second Team All-RMAC honors in 2017. Drew Hebel and Erick Hairston-Belcher were also honored. 

The 2016 season was a record setting one, with the Yellow Jackets finishing with its best record and league finish in the RMAC era. Nine BHSU student-athletes earned post-season RMAC accolades, led by Defensive Player of the Year, Drew Hebel. Hebel led the nation in interceptions, while the Green and Gold defense was second in the country in that category. Hebel, Reiners coached Hebel, Shandon Jones, and Phydell Paris, who are the first Jackets to be named to the All-RMAC First Team. Coach Reiners was named the RMAC Coach of the Year.

2015 saw Reiners coach the first 1,000-yard rusher in the NCAA-era at BHSU as Phydell Paris tallied 1,066 yards. Andrew Blaylock earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC on the offensive line while Paris and Cody Okray were named First Team All-Academic from the RMAC.

The 2014 season saw the Yellow Jackets have three members named RMAC All-Conference including second team selection Luke Whalen. Ward Anderson and Trent Boner each garnered honorable mention nods. During the season, the Green and Gold posted 4,766 yards of total offense, a school record. Against rival South Dakota Mines, the Yellow Jackets posted five passing touchdowns from Ward Anderson, ranking third-all time along with Anthony Eborieme receiving 194 yards, also third all-time.

The 2013 season saw the Yellow Jackets go 3-8 (3-6 RMAC) after closing the season with wins at Fort Lewis and at home against Western State. The final game of the season, against Western State, was a shootout with the Yellow Jackets putting up a season-high 50 points with 476 yards of total offense.

The offensive line was impressive, allowing the second-fewest sacks in the league at just 17 and the lowest amount of yards lost per sack. The Yellow Jackets also committed the least amount of penalties in the RMAC. 

In his first season (2012) as the Jackets’ head coach, Reiners led the team to a 4-7 (3-6 RMAC) record at season’s end after closing out the season with a three-game win streak where Reiners’ squad averaged 31.3 points per game and gave up a mere 10.3 points per game defensively on the way to outscoring their opponents 94-31 in that stretch. Under Reiners’ watch, the Jackets were the least penalized team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2012 and his BHSU team raised their GPA by one-half percent. 

In his first season as offensive coordinator, the Yellow Jackets led the Dakota Athletic Conference in rushing and in the last two years of the DAC, he coached eight first-team All-Conference selections and nine second-team All-Conference selections. 

While serving as an assistant coach at Chadron State for 14 years, Reiners was the head track and field coach for 11 seasons. Under his guidance, the Eagles set 60 new school records and earned All-American honors 34 times. His track & field teams had the highest GPA among all NCAA Division II teams (3.35 men) in 2007, according to the U.S Track and Field Coaches Association. 

At CSC, he was very active on the academic side of things as he spent the first three years as an Academic Coordinator with the Academic Gameplan Program (AGP), a program that promoted and guided student-athletes to successful academic work. 

Standouts that Reiners coached at CSC include current San Diego Charger and Harlon Hill Award winner in the 2006-07 season, Danny Woodhead, from 2004-07.  He also coached tight-end Jess Clarke in 1999.

Reiners is a graduate of Republican Valley High School at Indianola, Neb., where he was a football standout and won the Class C 800 meter run at the Nebraska State High School Track & Field Meet as a senior with a time of 1:56.69. Reiners earned one letter in track at Chadron State as a freshman before focusing on football full-time.  He went on to letter four years in football for the Eagles as wide receiver. Reiners earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from CSC in 1995 and 1997, respectively.  

John is married to the former Jennifer Vasey, a native of Laramie, Wyoming, who is one of Chadron State’s all-time great volleyball players and was inducted to the CSC Hall of Fame in 2010. Together they have one son Dylan and three daughters Ashtyn, Addi, and Kali.

HEAD COACHING RECORD