From the Fall 2026 issue of Bison Illustrated.
Photo by Gavin Fernholz, Dynamic Studios.
Dan Larson joined NDSU in 2019 and has been part of three MVFC and FCS national championship teams with the Bison. After coaching running backs and later the offensive line, Larson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2025 and now also oversees the tight ends and fullbacks. His first NDSU season featured a school-record 4,601 rushing yards during the Bison’s 16-0 championship campaign. Larson previously served as a head coach at Wisconsin-Eau Claire and as offensive coordinator at Macalester and Minnesota Duluth. His résumé also includes coaching stops at Colgate, Wisconsin-Stout and Marietta College.
Q: This is your second year as the offensive coordinator for the NDSU Bison. What would you say will be the biggest challenge going from FCS to FBS?
Dan Larson: The biggest challenge is, certainly, you’re going up against competition where everything is on the same playing field now. Everybody has the same amount of scholarships. Everybody’s got an indoor facility, training tables, all that.
I think, from our standpoint, the biggest challenge is going to be 12 straight weeks of really good competition. We’re going to see really good coaches—coaches who have been seasoned in the college football game and some guys who have NFL experience and are coming back to it.
From our standpoint, it’s just continuing to elevate and chase a really high standard that we’ve set for ourselves and that the program has set for a long time, and seeing if we can meet the challenges that are going to come with playing a really tough 12-game schedule.
Q: Of all the impressive offensive numbers from 2025, which one do you think reflects something you believe is most sustainable at the FBS level?
Larson: I think we can continue to play clean, tough football and have high expectations to be one of the top teams in the FBS from a turnover standpoint.
Limiting turnovers and playing really good complementary team football—if we play tough, clean football, limit penalties and continue to take care of the football like we have done and pride ourselves on doing, we’re going to put ourselves in a position to hopefully win some games.
Q: When building around Nathan Hayes, which of his natural strengths do you want to emphasize rather than asking him to imitate Cole Payton or Cam Miller?
Larson: I think that’s a critical thing. We can’t ask him to be anybody but who he is.
Nate’s got a very strong and capable arm. He’s a better athlete than maybe people realize or understand. So, we want to take advantage of the concepts in the passing game that he does well. He’s got the arm talent to make a lot of throws, and then we’ll find some pieces in the offense where we can utilize his running talents as well.
Q: Hayes has talked about improving his understanding of protections, pressure answers and where to take the ball when the defense brings more rushers. What progress have you seen from him in that area, and what situations are you still using to test him?
Larson: Practice every single day is testing him. Our defense does a great job of showing different looks and having some tough pressures, so every day in practice he’s getting an opportunity to work through that.
It does look like he is continuing to understand where to push protections, and that comes from practicing against a really great defense.
Q: What’s the most exciting thing about making this leap, and what should NDSU fans expect?
Larson: We’re going to play tough, clean football. Every year is a little bit different. There’s a wrinkle to the offense that we need to add in order to hopefully maximize the talents and skill level of the players who are on this year’s roster, and all we have is 2026.
We’re excited about the challenge. Anytime NDSU has been asked to meet a challenge, more often than not, the Bison have risen to the top. I don’t expect anything different this year.
Read the Fall 2026 magazine feature.
