Northern Arizona’s Souers stepping down after 2017 season

Longtime Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers is stepping down after this season. (Photo: Jerome Souers/Facebook)

Longtime Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers is stepping down after this season.

Souers made the announcement at a news conference with athletic director Lisa Campos on Monday.

The 59-year-old Souers is in his 20th season coaching the Lumberjacks, who are off to an 0-2 start this season. Souers is the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history with 112 wins and coached 84 FCS All-Americans.

Souers led the Lumberjacks to a winning record in his first season and was named the Big Sky’s coach of the year the next season, in 1999.

He previously spent 12 years at Montana, the final eight as defensive co-ordinator. The Grizzlies won a national title in 1995 and were national runner-up the following year.