CARBONDALE, Ill. — Jack Halperin was 14 years old when got hooked on the NFL Draft. He used to play football video games, doing franchise simulations and trying to build a team. The 26-year-old director of player personnel & recruiting for SIU turned his football passion into a career centered around roster-building, talent acquisition and resource management. The Lincoln, Neb. native spent two years working in personnel for Villanova prior to joining Southern in 2024. He is

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Running backs coach Larry Warner is excited to see which players emerge during camp to form the team’s playing rotation.

MARION, Ill. — Sitting at a Krispy Kreme on a hot summer morning in southern Illinois, John Flowers’ voice is filled with excitement. He’s come up from Memphis to reconnect with some old friends at a golf outing. It’s been nearly 50 years since he played football at SIU, but the memories of his career as a Saluki come pouring out rapid-fire. Flowers was a tackling machine for Southern from 1973-76. If not for the fact that all defensive stats from his sophomore season were lo

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Head coach Nick Hill called 28-year-old Lee Pronschinske a “rising star in our profession” when he promoted the team’s safeties coach to defensive coordinator last December. Pronschinske, who owns a national championship ring from his two-year stint at North Dakota State, has previous DC experience at the Division II level with Western New Mexico and Minot State. He’s a commanding presence in meetings and on the field, but has also built strong bonds with h

CARBONDALE, Ill. — On a hot and humid Wednesday morning at Saluki Stadium, SIU’s football program opened training camp, but Nick Hill and...

Saluki Football players reported for training camp on Tuesday.

Welcome to StrongDawgs — your new, go-to site for 24/7, year-round coverage of Saluki Football! Our mission is to unite generations of fans, players, coaches and alumni in support of Saluki Football by telling the incredible stories of the program and its history.