St. John’s defensive coordinator Brandon Novak becomes head coach at Loras (Iowa)

COLLEGEVILLE — When you’re recruited for a job, it’s hard to turn it down.

Brandon Novak found that out after Loras (Iowa) College Athletic Director Denise Udelhofen asked him to interview for the open head football coaching job at the Dubque, Iowa, liberal arts school.

Novak, who has spent the past 25 seasons on staff at

St. John’s

(including the past 12 as the defensive coordinator), was intrigued.

“She was interested in having someone from St. John’s come down and interview,” Novak said on Friday, Dec. 19. “I took her up on the cattle call. But once I got down there and met her — and (Loras President) Michael Doyle — I was sold on their vision for the football program right away. I can see what they want Loras football to be one day.”

Novak was announced as Loras’ new head football coach on Friday. He takes over a Duhawks team that went 3-7 last season. Loras hasn’t had a winning season since 2008 when it went 6-4. The Duhawks went 3-5 in the American Rivers Conference (ARC) last season.

“They haven’t had a lot of recent success and they’ve had to play tough programs like Wartburg, Coe and Central,” Novak said. “They’ve been right with those programs at halftime in a lot of those games, but haven’t found that consistency throughout an entire game. That’s where I come in and can hopefully get a good foundation set. Hopefully I can bring a different energy down there.”

St. John’s defensive coordinator Brandon Novak.

Contributed / St. John’s University Athletic Media Relations

Novak, a Becker native, doesn’t know what his staff is going to look like, but said former

St. John’s linebacker Hayden Sanders

is coming to Dubuque to join him in some capacity. Sanders spent this past season at Division I Eastern Michigan as a defensive quality control assistant.

“I have to get myself established down there,” Novak said. “I’ve had the same email address for almost 30 years, so I have to get that set up first. There are a lot of logistical things I need to get done. This is all new to me. I have a short list of people I’d like to talk to for those coaching spots on the staff.”

Novak’s successor at St. John’s will be announced at a later date. SJU head coach Gary Fasching said losing someone like Novak, who “made a significant impact” on his program, won’t be easy to replace.

Novak was a standout linebacker at St. John’s from 1996-99. He was named the MIAC’s MVP in 1999 and was a two-time first-team All-American.

St. John’s co-defensive coordinator Brandon Novak was named the school’s full-time defensive coordinator on Aug. 23, 2024, after Jerry Haugen resigned following 48 seasons on the job.

Contributed / Graham Miller

“As a two-sport athlete, Brandon helped set a standard of excellence for others to follow,” Fasching said. “When I was first hired (as an assistant coach) in 1996, the first recruit I called was Brandon because I knew that he would be a difference maker for our team. As a coach for the past 25 years, Brandon has been an integral part of many winning teams. During my 13 years as head coach, he has become a trusted assistant and has worked diligently to make our program one of the best in the country. He is an exceptional coach who cares about the players.

“He has made our football program better. We thank him for a job well done and wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter of his coaching career at Loras.”

Novak said telling Fasching about the move was the toughest part for him, along with leaving good friends behind on the St. John’s staff.

“It was really tough for me, but we had a good conversation about it,” Novak said. “What’s great about Gary is how approachable he is. You can tell him what’s going on and he listens. We talked about this being a good opportunity. I was the head wrestling coach at St. John’s (from 2004-2014). I’m going to have to get back into the swing of that again. I’ve only had to worry about running the defense for the past decade. Now I have to master special teams and the offensive side.”

Novak, who lives in St. Joseph with his wife, Heather, and two of their three children, talked with his family before making the decision. His oldest son, Sebastian, graduated from ROCORI three years ago and lives in California. The Novaks plan to move to Dubuque next summer.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a head coach,” Novak said. “I’ve cherished every moment I’ve had coaching under Gary and John Gagliardi. But this was a calling for me. Loras is very similar to St. John’s in a lot of ways. It’s a Catholic liberal arts school in the midwest. They have a passionate group of alums who want to take the football program to the next level. I see Loras as a place we can do that.

“This is a new challenge for me and my family. It’s never easy to move. We’re excited and nervous at the same time.”

Andy Rennecke is sports editor for St. Cloud LIVE. He focuses on writing in-depth high school and college features for the St. Cloud metro area (including Sartell, Sauk Rapids and St. Joseph) and for the ROCORI, Albany, Foley and Holdingford School Districts. Send him story ideas or feedback at andy@stcloudlive.com.