As the University of South Dakota continues to find increasing success in a variety of its athletics offerings, the school also is poised to find its top athletics official moving into the future.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Jon Schemmel, Dakota State University's vice president for institutional advancement, is expected to become South Dakota's next athletics director. Formal offer is pending final clearances and it is expected Schemmel will begin early in the new year.
Schemmel, a former standout collegiate baseball player who reached the AAA level in the New York Mets' and San Diego Padres' organizations, has previous experience at USD.
He served in a senior assistant athletics director's role and helped spearhead fundraising and development efforts for the Coyotes' programs.
Schemmel also worked at San Diego State University, as well as Miami (Ohio), prior to his elevated role at Dakota State University.
USD has searched for its next athletics leader since late this summer, when previous leader David Herbster left the institution for a job in the private sector.
South Dakota's football team just concluded an 10-win season that saw the Coyotes ranked in the top 10 of the FCS Top 25 throughout the season and culminated with a trip to the FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals.