Happy Hour with John Gaskins

It is safe to say the holidays will be a little more chill this year compared to last for South Dakota State football coach Dan Jackson.   As Christmas and New Year's Day approaches, Jackson seemed relaxed in his nearly-40 minute Monday conversation with Happy Hour — and why wouldn't he, considering his NFL Draft prospect quarterback and first team All-American offensive lineman both assured Jackson they are staying put no matter what kind of mega bucks offers they have been or would have been offered by FBS schools. In fact, most of Jackson's best players are staying, he says, based off last week's one-on-one postseason conversations.   Twelve months ago, the former SDSU player and assistant was in a whirlwind, starting with the process of moving from Idaho to New Mexico as he moved up from the FCS to FBS as defensive coordinator under head coach Jason Eck, the former SDSU offensive coordinator.   Then, a sudden jolt flung Jackson back to South Dakota to take his first head coaching job after one of his best friends, Jimmy Rogers, left SDSU to become head coach at Washington State.    That's enough movement and stress as it is, but nothing compared to Jackson's immediate turbulence of having to hire an entirely new staff (Rogers took his entire staff to Pullman) while also trying to salvage any Jackrabbit player or recruit he could while Rogers convinced 15 players and several recruits to voyage with him to the Palouse.    The pillaging Rogers pulled — without any unethical tactic, Jackson pointed out — would not qualify Rogers, to almost any other SDSU successor, as a jet-setting travel companion during his successor's precious little free time away from the football factory.   But Dan Jackson is different. The friendship with Rogers stayed in-tact. In fact, there was plenty of "candid conversations" between the two old buddies about players Rogers was trying to take some of the same SDSU players Jackson was trying to keep, but they ended up hanging out in Cabo San Lucas within a few months like the old pals they are.   How? Why? And has Jackson had conversations with Rogers about the latter's latest new job at Iowa State, where Rogers could potentially use a few good Jackrabbits to fill out a roster again? Does Jackson expect Jimmy to try to pluck away some Jacks again, particularly at quarterback where there is now an opening after Cyclone staple Rocco Becht announced he is entering the portal?   Hear what Jackson had to say about that, plus some insight into Mason's decision to not take his talents and potentially $2 million in NIL money to play at at Power Four school like fellow Jacks QB and Mason's close friend Mark Gronowski did.   As always, Jackson is refreshingly open and honest about the kind of things most college head coaches would not dare let the outside world in.   Happy Hour also had a 45-minute chat with one of the few people from the outside world Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer allows into his orbit.    DeBoer's former Univ. of Sioux Falls teammate — and current Sanford Sports Academy football director — Kurtiss Riggs was in both Atlanta for the SEC Championship loss to Georgia and Oklahoma for the Crimson Tide's CFB Playoff victory over the Sooners.   During this stretch, Riggs saw all kinds of reports and speculation about Michigan's interest in DeBoer and if the Milbank native would be interested in taking the Wolverines' opening.   Few would know better where DeBoer's head actually was than Riggs, who explains why DeBoer wants to stay put in Tuscaloosa. Riggs also weighs in on Nick Saban's harsh words  about Group of Six teams like James Madison and Tulane participating in the CFB Playoffs — which were made before JMU and the Green Wave were annihilated by Oregon and Ole Miss, respectively.   Should this latest series of events make FCS powerhouses like North Dakota State and SDSU pump the brakes on whatever thrusting toward FBS acceptance they've made?     

Host John Gaskins breaks down SDSU first team All-American Quinten Christensen staying at SDSU instead of taking potential life-changing FBS offers, while USD All-Americans L.J. Phillips and Larenzo Fenner decided to jump in the portal. Is this something SDSU can pump its chest about, or is more nuance required to tackle this topic?

Kurtiss Riggs on Kalen DeBoer-to-Michigan buzzkill, Alabama vs Indiana, G6 in CFB Playoff, FBS future for NDSU/SDSU?

Dan Jackson on Mason & others staying, friendship with Jimmy Rogers (and last year's WSU-SDSU portal pillage), why NFL scouts advise Jacks to stay, FCS or FBS future

Where did that come from? L.J. Phillips burst seemingly out of nowhere to rumble for 301 yards in South Dakota's absolutely-had-to-have-this overtime win over Northern Colorado in September. The backup running back to All-American Charles Pierre, Jr., to start the 2025 campaign came within seven yards of breaking Amos Allen's 18-year-old school record. Not bad for a first start! But it didn't come out of nowhere. Phillips had offers from Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and other Power Four squads by his junior year of high school at Wichita Northwest (Kansas). But a torn ACL in the playoffs that season made all those offers and Division I recruiters vanish. Except USD. So, how did the redshirt sophomore get here? And in a day and age where players can — and so many do — jump ship to another school if they aren't named the starter, why did Phillips stay in Vermillion and stay in the stable to play behind a thoroughbred? Obviously, for a moment like Saturday. But there's a lot more to it, and to him. Enjoy this 35-minute chat with the smiling, engaging Phillips about his life, journey to and through USD, and... wait, he is a cousin of Chiefs legend Priest Holmes?!