BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State University head football coach John Stiegelmeier announced Friday that Eric Eidsness has been promoted to fill the role of offensive coordinator.

Eidsness replaces Luke Meadows, who resigned earlier this week to become offensive line coach at Florida Atlantic. Meadows also served as associate head coach and offensive line coach at SDSU. A search to fill the offensive line position on the Jackrabbit coaching staff will begin immediately.

“I’m excited about the continuity that our offense will experience, as well as the tweaks that come with having a new person in that role,” Stiegelmeier said. “Eric is a great leader, a great football coach and we expect great things.”

Eidsness served as Jackrabbit quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the past two seasons. He oversaw the development of Austin Sumner, who was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year in 2011 and finished third in the voting for the inaugural Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision.

SDSU ended the 2011 season on a three-game winning streak to finish at 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the MVFC, averaging 38.3points per game in that span.

A Sioux Falls native, Eidsness is in his third stint on Stiegelmeier’s coaching staff. He began his association with the Jackrabbits as a graduate assistant during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, working with the team’s receivers. After a year at Ferris State (Mich.), Eidsness returned to SDSU in 1999 as offensive coordinator, while also coaching the team’s quarterbacks and running backs.

In five seasons as offensive coordinator at SDSU, the Jackrabbits averaged 27.6 points per game while competing at the Division II level. During his tenure, the Jackrabbits set numerous school records both rushing the ball with All-America running back Josh Ranek and throwing the ball with quarterback Dan Fjeldheim.

Eidsness left SDSU after the 2003 season to become head coach at Southwest MinnesotaState. He compiled a 26-40 career record during his tenure on the Mustang sideline, which included a 6-5 season in 2008 — only the eighth winning season in school history.  Eidsness’ 26 victories as head coach rank second in program history.

Stiegelmeier also announced that Marc Davis has joined the staff as the program’s first football operations coordidnator. His wide-ranging duties include helping coordinate team travel and recruiting visits, as well as arranging community service projects.

“The fact that we’re able to hire a quality guy like Marc Davis for our first operations position is a championship find,” Stiegelmeier said. “He will raise the level of our football program.”

Davis previously served as football operations assistant the past two seasons at the University of New Mexico. A 2009 graduate of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he served as a student assistant for the offensive line during the 2008 season and was agraduate assistant for the tight ends at the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in 2009. He also served a year-long internship in stadium operations at theUniversity of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium.