University of Jamestown promotes Brian Mistro to athletic director, Tom Dosch becomes coach

The University of Jamestown kept two familiar football names at the center of its athletic future Monday, elevating Brian Mistro to athletic director and moving Tom Dosch into the head coach seat. The change gives the Jimmies a new top administrator without breaking the program’s local ties, a shift with implications that reach well beyond the sideline and into recruiting, alumni support and campus identity in Jamestown.

Mistro, a University of Jamestown alumnus, had been the head football coach before the promotion. Dosch, who had been serving as associate head coach and special teams coordinator, returned to the top job he last held in 2007. The university framed the move as a leadership transition built around people who understand its mission, values and connection to the community, not as a wholesale reset.

That continuity matters in a town where the university is one of the most visible institutions. Football at UJ can shape game-day energy, influence how alumni stay connected and help drive the kind of campus visibility that reaches into Stutsman County civic life. Keeping Mistro and Dosch in prominent roles also preserves relationships that matter behind the scenes, from fundraising and scheduling to the daily work of building interest around the Jimmies.

The leadership opening came after Austin Hieb accepted a deputy athletic director position at South Dakota State University. UJ announced that move on May 28, then followed with the new football and athletics structure on June 8. The university said Hieb had helped guide athletics through a period of significant growth, making the handoff part of a larger period of institutional change.

Dosch brings a long track record in Jamestown. His first run as head coach from 2004 to 2007 produced a 25-17 record, one Dakota Athletic Conference title and NAIA playoff appearances. That history gives the football program a coach who already knows the school’s rhythms and the expectations that come with representing Jamestown on the field.

The broader athletic picture has only become more demanding. UJ has moved into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and NCAA Division II, and the school says its department includes both JV and varsity sports while emphasizing that student-athletes are students first. In that environment, keeping leadership steady can shape how the university plans, recruits and presents itself to prospective athletes and families.

A UJ profile has described Mistro as a culture-first coach focused on helping players grow as people. That emphasis now extends into his new administrative role, giving the university a leader who knows the program from both sides. For Jamestown, the result is a clear leadership handoff that keeps the football program familiar while placing the athletic department under someone already deeply tied to the school’s identity.