Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Football
- Title:
- Safeties
Colorado State, 1985
• A 38-year coaching veteran who came to OSU after coaching running backs at the University of Houston in 2014, Dan Hammerschmidt played safety at Colorado State from 1982-85 before breaking into the coaching ranks as a student assistant with the Rams in 1986.
• OSU has won at least 10 games in five of Hammerschmidt’s nine seasons in Stillwater.
• In six of Hammerschmidt’s nine seasons in Stillwater, he has produced a first-team All-Big 12 safety. Jordan Sterns earned the honor in both 2015 and 2016. In 2017, Tre Flowers was a first-team All-Big 12 pick by the coaches and a third-team All-American by the AFCA. Kolby Harvell-Peel was first team All-Big 12 in 2019, a second team pick in 2020 and capped his career with first team honors in 2021 to go along with third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Jason Taylor II was a first team pick in 2022, as well as a Walter Camp All-America second team selection.
• In 2023, Cowboy safeties Kendal Daniels and Trey Rucker teamed with linebacker Nick Martin to make OSU one of two FBS teams and the only Power Five team with three players to record triple-digit tackles on the year.
• In addition to Taylor’s 2022 honors, Hammerschmidt also coached Kendal Daniels to an impressive season as he was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, a freshman All-American and second-team All-Big.
• In 2021, Hammerschmidt’s safeties were one of the most experienced units in the nation and helped lead the way to the Cowboys ranking No. 4 in the FBS in third down defense, No. 5 in total defense, No. 5 in rushing defense and No. 9 in scoring defense.
• Hammerschmidt’s safeties played big role in the 2020 Cowboys leading the FBS in third down defense, as OSU’s three starting safeties all ranked among the team’s top five tacklers.
• In 2019, Harvell-Peel ranked fourth in the FBS in passes defended and seventh in total interceptions. He set a school record with six passes broken up against Iowa State and finished the season with 18 passes defended, a mark that ranks sixth in school history. OSU’s safeties were responsible for 259 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, seven interceptions, 27 pass break ups, four quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
• In 2019, Hammerschmidt’s safeties played a key role in Oklahoma State showing significant defensive improvement from the previous season. In 2018, the Cowboys allowed an average of 32.5 points and 452.5 yards per game, but in 2019, those numbers improved to 26.8 points per game and 412.3 yards per game. The Cowboys of 2019 held each of their final six opponents below their season scoring average.
• Despite fielding the youngest and least-experienced position group on the 2018 roster, OSU safeties produced 36% of OSU’s total tackles. Of the top five Cowboy tacklers in 2018, three were safeties. (Jarrick Bernard and Kolby Harvell-Peel were true freshmen.)
• In 2017, OSU led the Big 12 and ranked 15th nationally in passes intercepted. Ramon Richards provided one of the signature moments of the season when he picked off a pass in the end zone to seal OSU’s overtime win at Texas.
• In Hammerschmidt’s first three years on staff, OSU excelled at takeaways. The Cowboys finished second in the league with 28 turnovers gained in 2015 and tied for first in 2016 with 25 turnovers gained. In 2017, OSU led the league with 17 interceptions.
• Hammerschmidt served as a graduate assistant at TCU in 1987 before earning his first full-time role at Duke, where he coached outside linebackers, special teams and the secondary from 1988-94. He helped the Blue Devils to a pair of bowl appearances in 1989 and 1994.
• He coached the secondary at Virginia Military Institute in 1995 before returning to Colorado State to coach receivers from 1996-2000. He moved into the role of co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and served in that capacity from 2001-07.
• With Hammerschmidt on staff, CSU appeared in seven bowl games and quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt earned Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year accolades in 2002 and 2003. Eight of Hammerschmidt’s pupils at CSU earned all-conference recognition.
• He coached wide receivers at Rice in 2008, and his one year with the Owls resulted in Jarrett Dillard becoming the first Owl to earn All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America since 1958. Buoyed by the 20 touchdown receptions he made with Hammerschmidt as his position coach, Dillard finished his career as the NCAA’s all-time leader with 59 career touchdown receptions.
• From there, Hammerschmidt served as assistant head coach and mentored the receivers and tight ends at Wyoming in 2009, then returned to Fort Collins, where he was passing game coordinator and receivers coach at Colorado State from 2010-11.
• Hammerschmidt was an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans from 2012-13. With Hammerschmidt on staff, the Texans set a franchise record with 26.0 points per game in 2012 as seven offensive players earned Pro Bowl invites. Arian Foster led the NFL with 17 touchdowns and ranked second in the AFC with 1,424 yards rushing, while receiver Andre Johnson had 1,598 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Schaub earned Pro Bowl honors as did three offensive linemen: left tackle Duane Brown, left guard Wade Smith and center Chris Myers.
• Hammerschmidt returned to the college ranks in 2014 as running backs coach at the University of Houston. During his one season, the Cougars ranked second in American Athletic Conference in rushing offense with 183.8 yards per game and running back Kenneth Farrow led the league with 20 rushing touchdowns, ranked second with 1,037 rushing yards and was among the top 40 players in the nation by averaging 5.58 yards per carry.
Personal
• Hammerschmidt has a daughter, Holly, and a son, Michael. He was married to the late Karen Hammerschmidt.
Year By Year
| Year | School | Position |
| 1986 | Colorado State | Student Assistant |
| 1987 | TCU | Graduate Assistant |
| 1988-94 | Duke | Outside Linebackers and |
| Special Teams in 1988, | ||
| Secondary from 1989-94 | ||
| 1995 | VMI | Secondary |
| 1996-2007 | Colorado State | Receivers from 1996-2000 |
| Co-Offensive Coordinator | ||
| and QBs from 2001-07 | ||
| 2008 | Rice | Receivers |
| 2009 | Wyoming | Assistant Head Coach, |
| Receivers and Tight Ends | ||
| 2010-11 | Colorado State | Passing Game Coordinator, |
| Receivers | ||
| 2012-13 | Houston Texans | Offensive Assistant |
| 2014 | Houston | Running Backs |
| 2015-pres. | Oklahoma State | Safeties |
Bowl Games
1989 All-American Bowl
1994 Hall of Fame Bowl
1997 Holiday Bowl
1999 Liberty Bowl
2000 Liberty Bowl
2001 New Orleans Bowl
2002 Liberty Bowl
2003 San Francisco Bowl
2005 Poinsettia Bowl
2008 Texas Bowl
2009 New Mexico Bowl
2016 Sugar Bowl
2016 Alamo Bowl
2017 Camping World Bowl
2018 Liberty Bowl
2019 Texas Bowl
2020 Cheez-It Bowl
2021 Fiesta Bowl
2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl
2023 Texas Bowl
Prominent Pupils
Jeremy Calhoun, Colorado State
James Casey, Houston Texans
Owen Daniels, Houston Texans
Dallas Davis, Colorado State
Jarrett Dillard, Rice
Ray Farmer, Duke
Tre Flowers, Seattle Seahawks
Justin Forsett, Houston Texans
Arian Foster, Houston Texans
Crockett Gilmore, Colorado State
Darran Hall, Colorado State
Case Keenum, Houston Texans
Pete Rebstock, Colorado State
Erwin Sampson, Duke
Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
Jason Taylor II, Los Angeles Rams
Geoff Turner, Colorado State
Bradlee Van Pelt, Colorado State
