Bemidji State football coach placed on leave

The Bemidji State Beavers football team will play their first game of the season Thursday, but without their coach.

Head Coach Jeff Tesch was placed on a leave of absence Tuesday. BSU communications director Scott Faust confirmed there is an open complaint filed against Tesch, though he would not comment on the nature of that complaint.

Assistant coach Brent Bolte is the interim head of the team. According to a press release sent out by the university late Tuesday evening, Bolte has coordinated the team's defensive squad since since 2005.

"We're pleased that coach Bolte is around," Faust said. "He is very experienced. He's very capable. We'll see how things go."

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Since Tesch signed on in 1996, BSU has notched 126 victories. That's more wins than the team managed in the 30 years before Tesch took over.

"He's the all time winningest coach in BSU history," said athletic communications director Brad Folkestad. "That says it all, I guess."

Folkestad also refused to comment on the cause of Tesch's leave. He did say, even without Tesch the football team is excited to face Upper Iowa in Chet Anderson Stadium Thursday.

Last year, the team finished near the top of the NSIC North Division, but weren't able to advance further.

"With how last year ended," he said, "the team wants more. A lot of them stuck around all summer and trained. They'll be fired up. That's not going to be a problem."

Tesch is still employed by the university. Faust could not comment on how long the leave might last, or if Tesch will return. The complaint against him is still under investigation.