Steven Dudley enters his 10th year as an assistant coach at Fort Hays State in 2023. He serves as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach.
In 2017 Dudley coached three players to All-America honors, including defensive back Doyin Jibowu, kicker Brandon Brown, and punter Dante Brown. All three earned honorable mention selections from the Don Hansen Football Committee. Brandon Brown was the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year in his senior year, setting a new school record for kicking points in a season with 94 (49 PATs and 15 field goals), and he went on to receive invites to NFL rookie free agent mini camps. Dante Brown had the sixth-best yards per punt average in NCAA Division II at 43.5 yards per attempt.
A year later in 2018, Brown and Jibowu earned All-America honors once again. Dante Brown gave FHSU the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year for a second straight year by earning both All-MIAA First Team honors as a kicker and punter. Brown was also named the National Special Teams Player of the Year by the Don Hansen Football Committee to go with All-America First Team selections by D2CCA and the Don Hansen Football Committee. He was also honored as a Don Hansen All-America selection at punter, receiving an honorable mention nod. Brown led NCAA Division II in field goals made with 28 and led all NCAA levels in field goals per game (2.33), while also averaging 41.4 yards per punt. His 123 points in 2018 set a new single-season scoring record at FHSU. Jibowu added his second straight Don Hansen All-America honor, receiving a third-team selection at safety. Jibowu went on to sign with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted rookie free agent and then played in all 2019 preseason games for the Bears. He then went on to play for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL.
In 2019, Dante Brown repeated as the Don Hansen Football Committee National Special Teams Player of the Year, while also earning MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year for a second-straight season. Though he only served as the team's placekicker in 2019, Brown was still an All-America First Team selection by four organizations. Brown would later receive recognition on the D2Football.com All-Decade Team for 2010-19 and then was selected by the Edmonton Eskimos as the 41st pick overall in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft.
Over the last five seasons (2017-2022), Dudley has coached 18 All-MIAA selections between defensive backs and special teams players combined. In nine total years at FHSU, Dudley has coached nine Don Hansen Football Committee All-America selections between defensive backs and special teams. In 2014 Micheal Jordan earned third-team honors at safety and Daniel Lindsey earned an honorable mention nod at defensive back in 2015. Raheeme Dumas earned first team honors at cornerback in 2016. Overall at FHSU, Dudley has coached defensive backs and special teams players to 29 All-MIAA honors, including nine first-team selections.
Dudley helped FHSU to a record of 65-38 in his nine years with the program. He helped the Tigers to an appearance in the Mineral Water Bowl in 2015, the program's first postseason appearance in 20 years, then helped the program to its first-ever postseason win in 2016, defeating Eastern New Mexico in the Heart of Texas Bowl. In 2017, he helped the Tigers make their first NCAA Playoff appearance since 1995 as the top seed in Super Region 3 after an undefeated regular season, which also gave the program it's first MIAA Championship. In 2018, Dudley helped the Tigers to a repeat MIAA Championship and repeat appearance in the NCAA Playoffs.
Prior to coaching, Dudley was a member of the Washburn University football team for five years as a defensive back. He was a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
Dudley played his prep career at Park Hill South High School, where he was an all-conference selection at free safety as a junior and senior. He also played quarterback for Park Hill South.
A native of Parkville, Missouri, Dudley graduated from Washburn University in 2013 with a degree in Business Management and Marketing.
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