Jared Fredenburg Leading Lincoln Patriots Into Season with New System, Culture

Jared Fredenburg donned the Roosevelt Rough Rider cardinal and gold dating back to 2002, but this year he traded in those colors for the Lincoln red, white, and blue.

Fredenburg enters this season as a first-time head coach after being an assistant at Roosevelt, and also with the Sioux Falls Storm. The change has been different, but welcomed for Fredenburg.

"It was a little weird at first. My kids were probably the worst as my daughter graduated from Roosevelt, but this was a great opportunity to be a head coach in Sioux Falls...I gave away 47 different articles of Roosevelt apparel and now am building that back up with the red and blue."

He has had the opportunity to coach under some of the best in South Dakota from Brent DeBoer, to Kim Nelson, to Kurtiss Riggs. The assistant coaches that he's also worked with have really helped him prepare for this opportunity.

"Coach [Brian] Hermanson has had a pretty big impact on me. Also coaching under Josh Siegfried. Kim and DeBoer were great, but my personality is a little more in line with Herm and Josh. Kurtiss has given me the look into how to prepare and how to work."

Fredenburg is taking over a team that went 3-6 last season. He's coming in on a clean slate and says that the team has embraced the system and have bought into the program.

"I emphasized that the past is over. There's nothing we can do about it and we're concentrating on where we are at and moving forward. We have to prepare for our success. It's a different offense, different defense, and they've stepped to me with open arms. I haven't had any pushback on anything."

Lincoln opens the season Friday night (August 25) hosting Rapid City Central at Howard Wood Field.