GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota announced that football legends Brady Oliveira and Reid "Digger" Anderson will be the honorary coaches for the UND Spring Showcase on April 25. Oliveira will be the honorary coach for the offense, while Anderson will be the honorary coach for the defense.
Oliveira is entering his sixth season as a running back with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL. He was drafted by Winnipeg in the second round (14th overall) of the 2019 CFL Draft and is a two-time Grey Cup Champion (2019, 2021).
Most recently, Oliveira captured his first Most Outstanding Player award in 2024, after being a finalist in 2023 and received the honor of being named the Most Outstanding Canadian in back-to-back seasons (2023, 2024).
In the 2024 season, Oliveira led the league in rushing yards (1,353) for the second consecutive season and has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the past three seasons. The former North Dakota running back also led the CFL in yards from scrimmage (1,829) for the second straight year.
At North Dakota, Oliveira played running back from 2015-18 and helped UND reach the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2016. He piled up 2,822 rushing yards in his career, which still ranks No. 7 in North Dakota history. His 22 career rushing touchdowns also sits No. 9 in UND history.
Anderson was a standout linebacker for the Fighting Sioux from 2002-05 and ended his career with 15 All-American honors, highlighted by 10 different First Team accolades. He was twice voted the NCC Most Valuable Linebacker (2003, 2005) and became the fifth player in UND history to be named a finalist for the Harlan Hill Trophy, which goes to the best player in NCAA Division II football. He was a team captain in both 2004 and 2005 and helped North Dakota win the NCC title in 2003 and 2005. Anderson was a three-time All-NCC selection during his career.
During the 2003 season, Anderson broke the single-season solo tackles record with 95 individual stops, which still stands. In UND's all-time record book, Anderson still owns the career solo tackles record (229) and is No. 4 in career total tackles (366). He served one season as a coach of the UND linebackers in 2008.
The UND Spring Showcase will take place on Friday, April 25. The game will begin around 6:20 p.m. inside the Pollard Athletic Center. The Fighting Hawks Radio Network will carry the Spring Showcase on
1440 KKXL-AM and
740 KNFL-AM, with Jack Michaels, Mike Berg and Paul Ralston on hand bringing the show starting at 6:30 p.m. Segments from the show will also be placed on the
Hawk Talk page inside the iHeart Radio App for fans to go back and listen at their convenience.
New football season tickets are available and start at just $135. More information can be found at
TheRalph.com and representatives from the ticket office will also be at the Spring Showcase. Fans can enter to win a Coach Schmidt signed football helmet at the season ticket table.
For more information on North Dakota football, follow on social media @UNDfootball or visit FightingHawks.com.
