Sources: Danny Freund emerging as the leading candidate for UND offensive coordinator
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Jan. 6—GRAND FORKS — Former UND quarterback and veteran assistant Danny Freund, who spent last season calling plays at Washington State, has emerged as the leading candidate to be named UND offensive coordinator, sources told the Herald on Tuesday.
An official announcement is expected later this week. The job posting officially closes Thursday.
Freund left UND in January of 2024 after 13 seasons on the coaching staff in Grand Forks to join Jimmy Rogers' staff at South Dakota State before following Rogers to Washington State.
Washington State finished 7-6 in 2025, capped by a 34-21 win over Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise. In the win, Freund's offense generated 628 yards of total offense.
Prior to WSU's bowl game, Rogers left Pullman to take the head coaching job at Iowa State.
With Rogers at South Dakota State in 2024, Freund was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Jackrabbit offense finished fourth in scoring offense (36.7 points) and 12th in total offense (434.1 yards per game) in the FCS. SDSU's offense scored 40-plus points eight times, led by quarterback Mark Gronowski, who spent the 2025 season as the starter at Iowa.
Freund was the offensive coordinator at UND for five seasons. He was elevated to associate head coach for his final two seasons in Grand Forks under former head coach Bubba Schweigert.
In 2023, Freund's last season calling plays in Grand Forks, UND's offense scored 31.4 points per game.
UND's offensive coordinator of the past two seasons, Isaac Fruechte, announced last week he'll coach wide receivers next season at the University of Minnesota, where Fruechte was a former wide receiver.
Washington State's 2025 offense averaged 22.54 points per game, with 128.8 rushing yards per game and 210.5 passing yards per game.
The Fighting Hawks finished the 2025 season 8-6 after falling to Tarleton State in the second round of the FCS playoffs. UND averaged 32.9 points per game in 2025.
Offensively, UND expects to return starting quarterback Jerry Kaminski, who Freund recruited to Grand Forks out of high school.
The offense will also have to deal with the transfer portal exits of running back Sawyer Seidl and wide receiver B.J. Fleming.
Kaminski and the offense received a transfer portal addition on Tuesday, as former Illinois State running back Matt Lawson committed to the Fighting Hawks.
The Hawks also anticipate to have an experienced offensive line. The entire unit of regular contributors, minus graduating senior Seth Anderson, announced earlier this offseason they plan to stay in Grand Forks for the 2026 season.
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