TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State University head football coach Darrin Chiaverini has announced the promotion of Noah Sutherland to Associate Head Coach, while Curtis Chiaverini has been elevated to Passing Game Coordinator.

Sutherland has completed his second season at NSU as the offensive line coach and his first as run game coordinator. This past season, the RiverHawks rushed for 2,122 yards—their highest total in more than a decade—and produced their first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012. NSU also enjoyed historic success through the air, setting a program record with 3,422 passing yards and 60 touchdowns.

"I'm excited to announce that Noah Sutherland has been promoted to Associate Head Coach," said Chiaverini. "Coach Sutherland has been an integral part of our championship build and is someone I lean on in many aspects of developing our program. He is a big part of our success."

Curtis Chiaverini also completed his second season in Tahlequah, serving as recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Under his guidance, the RiverHawks quarterbacks delivered the most productive season in program history, finishing with 252 completions and an overall quarterback rating of 167.45. NSU quarterbacks threw just seven interceptions all season and did not record a single interception over the final four games.

"I'm proud to announce that Curtis Chiaverini has been promoted to passing game coordinator," Chiaverini said. "He has done an outstanding job developing our quarterbacks over the past two seasons, with Donnie Smith setting several school records in 2025. Curtis brings tremendous knowledge to the passing game and is a valuable asset to our program."

NSU concluded the 2025 season with a 9-3 overall record while setting school records for total points (483), touchdowns (65), and points per game (40.3). The RiverHawks outscored opponents by 282 points over the course of the season and closed the year on a dominant seven-game winning streak, winning those contests by a combined 255 points. NSU capped the historic campaign with a 56-21 victory over East Central University in the inaugural First Americans Bowl.