Todd Stepsis

CEDAR FALLS — University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook and Director of Athletics Megan Franklin announced on Tuesday that Todd Stepsis has accepted the UNI football head coaching position.

Stepsis joins the Panthers after a six-year stint as the head coach at Drake University. He has also served as Drake’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.

The Shelby, Ohio, native guided the Bulldogs to consecutive appearances in the FCS Playoffs after winning back-to-back Pioneer Football League championships. Drake compiled a 16-7 record over that two-year span in 2023-24, including a 15-1 mark in conference play. Stepsis earned Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year honors for a second consecutive year in 2024.

Franklin confirmed that Stepsis has agreed to terms of a five-year contract. He will be formally introduced to the UNI community at a press conference in the near future.

“Cheryl and I are looking forward to cheering on Coach Stepsis and the Panthers under his direction,” Nook said. “We are pleased to welcome Coach Stepsis and his family to the Cedar Valley. Coach Stepsis has created an exemplary record of helping young men and football programs develop and grow during his previous coaching stops. We hope that he and his family will call the University of Northern Iowa and the Cedar Valley home for many years. We wish Todd and his family the very best as we embark on this journey together. Panther Proud!”

Stepsis was named FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year in 2023.

He was named Drake’s head coach on Dec. 21, 2018, after serving five seasons as the Bulldogs defensive coordinator. In his initial season at the helm, Drake tied for the second in the league with 21 all-conference honorees. The Bulldogs also landed three student-athletes on the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, tying for the best mark among all NCAA Division I football programs.