Happy Hour with John Gaskins

He seems beyond ready. He has seemed beyond ready since he was introduced as South Dakota's head football coach in January.

But things get real for Travis Johansen when he leads the Coyotes onto the field at Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium next Saturday — his first game not just as USD's head coach, but as a head coach for the first time in his life.

So, what is the latest on how Johansen has operated in that role so far? How is ...

 It would perhaps be a daunting first season for Tim Morrison as the man who coordinates and calls South Dakota's offense if senior quarterback Aidan Bouman decided not to return.

Not that Morrison wouldn't be up for the task. He was tight ends coach on a pair of USD playoff teams the last two seasons, a group which included All-American and current Pittsburgh Steeler J.J. Galbreath. Prior to that, Morrison spent seven collective s...

He seems beyond ready. Has seemed beyond ready since he was introduced as South Dakota's head football coach in January.

But things get real for Travis Johansen when he leads the Coyotes onto the field at Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium next Saturday — his first game not just as USD's head coach, but for the first time ever for him in that role.

So, what is the latest on both how Johansen has operated in that role so far, and how d...

There are several elements that are synonymous with University of Sioux Falls athletics over the last 30 years — a winning football tradition (29 of 30 winning seasons), Bob Young (and Bob Young Field), Kalen DeBoer, Kurtiss Riggs, Chuck Morrell, The Stewart Center, and 17-year basketball head coaches Chris Johnson and Travis Traphagen.

But besides the late, beloved former athletics director Sid Kortemeyer, only Tom Frederick has b...

The University of Sioux Falls on Wednesday announced its new partnership with Forum Communications — which owns Sioux Falls Live — that will include the live streaming of USF home football and basketball games on the new Midwest Sports+ app.

The Midwest Sports+ app will allow Cougars fans to watch USF games on high-definition TV (those able to download and stream apps) for the first time ever. Plus, the app will allow USF home gam...

Make it three straight evenings of watching 12-year-olds from South Dakota go after a national championship — and, then, potentially a world championship — at the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania.

Do you have Max Snoozy fever yet? Can you not get enough of these energetic kids and these intense, globally-watched ESPN games?

Happy Hour host John Gaskins is both fascinated and fatigued by all of it. It is nothing but good, ...

There are several elements that are synonymous with University of Sioux Falls athletics over the last 30 years — a winning football tradition (29 of 30 winning seasons), Bob Young (and Bob Young Field), Kalen DeBoer, Kurtiss Riggs, Chuck Morrell, The Stewart Center, and 17-year basketball head coaches Chris Johnson and Travis Traphagen.

But besides the late, beloved former athletics director Sid Kortemeyer, only Tom Frederick has b...

While waiting breathlessly for actual football games (that count) to start, South Dakota State fans and media felt an early Christmas present drop in their lap on Monday with the news of the Jackrabbits accepting an invitation to play Montana in the new Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegian Stadium — home of the Raiders — in 2029. 

In this week's addition of "Nobody's Listening Anyway" over cocktails at the Gateway Lounge, Happy Hour H...

Imagine playing for a world title with teammates you met just several weeks ago, in a sport you love, and in front of over 30,000 people mostly cheering against you and a global television audience in the millions.

Now, imagine doing that and you're 12 years old. And then imagine being a 39-year-old assistant coach and one of those kids — who just happened to belt a big hit in a 2-0 victory on Thursday — is your son.

Oh, by the w...

It isn't unreasonable to be unsure of if Chase Mason will perform at a championship level as South Dakota State's new starting quarterback. After all, he has never started a game at SDSU — only backup and wildcat action — and he hasn't played a full game as a starting quarterback in six years, back to his junior year in high school.

But based off his reaction in a Happy Hour interview last week to a Zach Borg question about that la...

Imagine playing for a world title with teammates you met just several weeks ago, in a sport you love, and in front of over 30,000 people mostly cheering against you and a global television audience in the millions.

Now, imagine doing that and you're 12 years old. And then imagine being a 39-year-old assistant coach and one of those kids — who just happened to belt a big hit in a 2-0 victory on Thursday — is your son.

Oh, by the way...

John remains on vacation, so Trent Singer and Patrick Lalley took to the mic at "The best bar in Sioux Falls," according to Trent, the Orion Pub.

The conversation began with a rundown of the stories that Trent has been working on over the past month, including the Sioux Falls wrestling scene. They then shifted the conversation in the Little League World Series.

Similar to how the 2021 Little League World S...

As one of the top teams in preseason polling, the South Dakota State Jackrabbit football team comes into the 2025 season with high expectations.

Those expectations were voiced by many of the players and coaches throughout media day as they voiced their goal of playing for a national championship.

Part two of our Jackrabbit fall media day coverage includes Quarterback Chase Mason, who has big shoes to fil...

Tuesday's Happy Hour takes us up to Brookings, South Dakota, home of the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits.

The Jacks hosted their fall media day, allowing media personnel to get an inside look at a football practice before hearing from each of the coaches for the fall sports.

Today's portion of media day coverage will include Quinten Christensen, Alex Bullock, Coleman Kuntz, Dan Jackson, plus coac...

Up until Saturday, South Dakota State legend Mark Gronowski had said all the right things and made all the right moves as Iowa's new $2 million quarterback — including a seemingly breathtaking, tight-window sideline laser last week that made viral waves.

But until Saturday, the Hawkeyes' eigth August camp practice, Gronowski had not performed in front of the media nor Iowa fans.

So, how'd he do in a non-contact, 11-on-11 scrimmage?...

We finally had a chance to see some NFL football games over the weekend, and while preseason games are mostly meaningless and non-reflective of what we'll see on real NFL Sundays, a couple of former South Dakota State running backs had their time to shine.

Amar Johnson is playing to make the Green Bay Packers' final 53-man roster, and he took a giant leap — and a Lambeau Leap! — in scoring the only Pack touchdown against the New Yo...

Up until Saturday, South Dakota State legend Mark Gronowski had said all the right things and made all the right moves as Iowa's new $2 million quarterback — including a seemingly breathtaking, tight-window sideline laser last week.

But until Saturday, the Hawkeyes' eigth August camp practice, Gronowski had not performed in front of the media nor Iowa fans.

So, how'd he do in a non-contact, 11-on-11 scrimmage? The numbers: 10-for-2...

It was a scene made for a Hollywood movie if Hollywood producers wouldn't reject it for being too corny.

The slumping Sioux Falls Canaries, losers of seven of their last nine games, had not mustered one hit all night — and hadn't scored one run the previous 19 innings — and were down to their final strike in a full count with two outs in the 11th inning.

The air was filled with dark, disturbed, disappointed, distraught, downtrodden...

Despite a litany of key losses to the transfer portal in the offseason, the South Dakota Coyotes will be the No. 4 ranked FCS team in the nation when they kick off the season at Iowa State on Aug. 29.

But with the exception of proven senior quarterback Aidan Bouman returning to the Big 12 school where he started his college career, there is a lot to learn about USD between now and then.

Who is on an almost entirely-revamped offensi...