Saint John's University

Damien Dumonceaux
Assistant Head Caoch/Recruiting Coordinator
Dumonceaux is in his 21st season on the coaching staff in 2026 and has served as the program's recruiting coordinator since 2013. The Johnnies have compiled a 177-42 (.808) overall record and a 128-25 (.837) mark in the MIAC with nine conference championships and 14 NCAA appearances during his tenure on staff. A member of the Johnnies' 2003 national championship team and a three-year starter (2003-05) at nose tackle, Dumonceaux was a 2005 All-American and received a pair of national awards, Football Gazette's Defensive Lineman of the Year and D3football.com's Defensive Player of the Year, and received the MIAC Mike Stam Award as the conference's top lineman.

Kole Heckendorf
Offensive Coordinator/Receivers 
Heckendorf is in his ninth season as the Johnnies' offensive coordinator and 14th season on the offensive staff in 2026. SJU averaged 42.6 points and 470.3 yards of offense per game (152.8 rushing and 317.5 passing) in his first five seasons (61 games) as offensive coordinator (the Johnnies did not compete in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). SJU's 512.9 yards per game and 371.4 passing yards per game in 2019 were program records. His 2025 offense ranked second in the nation in passing yards per game (364.8) and points per game (47.3) and third in total offense (506.8 ypg) and completion percentage (0.718). The Johnnies had the best third down conversion percentage in all of college football (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII) at 0.587 (74-for-126). In 2002, Heckendorf set a pair of Wisconsin records with 116 receptions for 1,714 yards as a junior at Mosinee High School and ended his career as the state's all-time leader in receiving yards (3,831) and touchdowns (36). He was also second in career receptions (235). Heckendorf accepted a scholarship to FCS (formerly Division I-AA) North Dakota State and ended a four-year collegiate career (2005-08) as the all-time leader in catches (178) and receiving yards (2,732) for the Bison. He signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and later joined four other National Football League organizations: the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

James Herberg
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
A defensive backs coach for the Johnnies in 2025, Saint John's University head football coach Gary Fasching '81 announced the promotion of Herberg to defensive coordinator on Feb. 2, 2026. Herberg helped coach all four of SJU's starting defensive backs to All-MIAC honors. Sophomore cornerback Westin Hoyt (Forest Lake, Minn.) was also named to D3football.com's All-Region 6 team. Herberg came to SJU in May 2025 after leading Rocori High School to eight state tournament appearances - four as a defensive assistant (2009-17) and four more as head coach (2018-24), including Minnesota Class AAAA state championships in 2011 and 2019, and a state runner-up finish in 2023. In all, the Spartans boasted a 50-23 record with Herberg as head coach. Herberg replaced Brandon Novak '01, who left SJU in December to become the head football coach at Loras College (Iowa) following 26 seasons as an assistant coach in Collegeville. A native of Cold Spring and a 2009 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, Herberg joined Rocori's football staff in 2009 and was the defensive coordinator in 2011 when the Spartans won their first Minnesota Class AAAA state championship.

Josh Bungum 
Quarterbacks
Josh Bungum is in his 11th season as an SJU assistant coach in 2026. A 2016 graduate of SJU, Bungum was named D3football.com All-American honorable mention in 2015 as a returner, where he was a two-time All-MIAC first-team selection. A three-time All-MIAC second-team selection as a receiver, Bungum ended his career second in school history in receptions (213) and fourth in receiving yards (2,676). He was the first Johnnie to lead the team in both catches and receiving yards all four seasons since Dave Arnold '73 (1969-72). Following graduation, Bungum signed and played for the Cineplexx Blue Devils, a professional team in the Austrian Football League (AFL) and the Central European Football League (CEFL).

Max Jackson
Defensive Assistant/Diversity & Student Success
Jackson is in his sixth season as a defensive assistant, as well as the program's diversity and student success officer, in 2026. A 2019 graduate and a two-sport star, Jackson was a two-time All-American safety for SJU. He ended his career as the Johnnies' all-time leader in defensive touchdowns (4) and finished fifth in combined kick and punt return yards (1,188). Jackson also started 170 consecutive games in the outfield for the SJU baseball team, where he was a two-time All-MIAC honoree. He ended his baseball career as SJU's all-time leader in hits (209), games played (171), at-bats (628), runs scored (132), RBI (110) and stolen bases (52). Jackson was a five-time Academic All-MIAC honoree (three in baseball, two in football).

Isaiah Traufler
Tight Ends
Isaiah Traufler is in his second season as a tight ends and recruiting assistant for SJU in 2026. A 2024 graduate of Saint John's, Traufler returned to Collegeville after spending the 2024 season as a player personnel and recruiting assistant at Division I (FBS) Wisconsin. During his time with the Badgers, he assisted with high school and transfer portal evaluations, recruiting operations, on-campus visits, self-scouting and film breakdown while working alongside one of the nation's premier personnel departments. Since joining the Saint John's coaching staff, Traufler has helped develop one of the most productive offenses in Division III football. The 2025 Johnnie offense ranked second in the nation in passing yards per game (364.8) and points per game (47.3) and third in total offense (506.8 ypg) and completion percentage (0.718). Saint John's had the best third down conversion percentage in all of college football (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII) at 0.587 (74-for-126). Under his guidance, the tight end position emerged as a key component of the offense, producing 87 receptions, 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while helping fuel one of the most explosive attacks in program history. Traufler was a tight end for the Johnnies from 2020-24 and earned his degree in exercise and health science. 

Will Blakey
Running Backs/Strength & Conditioning
Will Blakey is in his second season as running backs coach for SJU in 2026. He also serves as one of SJU's strength and conditioning coaches. A 2016 graduate of St. Paul Central High School, Blakey served six years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force. He transferred to SJU from Division I Portland State prior to the 2024 season and rushed for 446 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Alex Sais
Linebackers/Recruiting
Saint John's University head football coach Gary Fasching '81 announced the addition of Alex Sais '20 as the Johnnies' new linebackers coach on Feb. 23, 2026. Sais (sice) spent the last two seasons as Case Western Reserve's (Ohio) linebackers coach (2024-25), where he coached three All-President's Athletic Conference (PAC) student-athletes at the position. Sais finished second on the 2019 team, which reached the NCAA semifinals, in tackles by one with 87 (37 solo), including 4.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a sack as a senior. He totaled 144 tackles (54 solo), including seven tackles for loss, five pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 30 career games. The Johnnies compiled a 43-7 record (29-3 MIAC) with four NCAA appearances and two MIAC championships during his four years. A two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, Sais graduated from SJU in 2020 with a degree in accounting. The Los Lunas, New Mexico native worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Father Joe's Villages in various accounting roles before entering the coaching ranks.

Mike Magnuson
Offensive Line
Mike Magnuson '90 is in his 12th season as an assistant coach for SJU in 2021 and the ninth as the team's offensive line coach. A 1990 graduate of Saint John's, Magnuson was a three-year starter on the offensive line for the SJU football team, earned All-MIAC honors and was part of two NCAA Division III playoff teams. He went on to coach the offensive line at Cretin-Derham Hall High School from 2010-15 before rejoining the staff at Saint John's. During his tenure on the staff at SJU, Johnnies offensive linemen have earned All-MIAC first or second-team honors 14 times. Offensive tackle Ben Bartch '20 became the 10th Johnnie to be drafted in the NFL when he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 10th pick of the fourth round (No. 116 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in fall of 2022 and took five snaps for the 49ers in the Super Bowl in 2023. He signed with the Detroit Lions in the spring of 2026.

Ben Eli
Offensive Line
Eli is in his 10th season as an assistant coach at SJU in 2026. A December 2016 graduate, Eli was an American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) All-America first-team selection on the offensive line in 2016. He was also named to the D3football.com All-West Region second-team and was an All-MIAC first-team selection in 2016. Eli transitioned from the defensive line to center in late August 2014 and started 35 consecutive games there. The Johnnies averaged over 200 yards rushing per game during those three consecutive seasons for the first time since the early, quadruple-option seasons of 1975-77.

Collin Franz
Defensive Line
Franz is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for SJU in 2026. A 2021 graduate, Franz started in all 12 games in his senior season and posted a career-high 7.5 tackles for loss, an interception, fumble recover and batted down five passes. He graduated with a degree in Hispanic studies and taught Spanish full-time in the nearby Sartell-St. Stephen school district.

Alexi Johnson
Kickers
Johnson is in his ninth season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2026. He works primarily with the SJU kickers and punters. A 2017 graduate of SJU, Johnson was a four-year kicker for the Johnnies from 2013-16 and ended his career second in school history in both career field goals (27) and career PAT's (190). He was a two-time All-MIAC first-team selection and was D3football.com All-West Region in 2014. 

Tom Wicka
Volunteer Assistant (Linebackers)
Wicka is in his fifth season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2026, working with linebackers. A 1990 graduate of SJU, Wicka was a three-year starter at linebacker and a member of two NCAA playoff teams (1987 and 1989) and the 1989 MIAC championship squad. Wicka was named All-MIAC twice (second team in 1988 and first team in 1989). After graduating from SJU, he has gone on to a long and successful career founding and leading businesses in the direct marketing, commercial printing and health care tech services industries. That included serving as Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, as well as owner of IWCO Direct, for almost nine years, and as co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of NovuHealth from 2012 to 2020. Currently, he is a founder and investor with River Road Investors, an investment group that also includes fellow Johnnies David Sunberg and Carter Hanson, another former standout linebacker for the Johnnies.