AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers has announced the full-time offensive assistants for his first season leading the Cyclone program.
Rogers previously announced that Tyler Roehl, a former Cyclone assistant and current tight ends coach for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, will return as offensive coordinator.
Working alongside Roehl will be a staff that has a proven track record of success in college football.
“I’m excited about the offensive staff that we have put together,” Rogers said. “I think we’ve got a group that brings a lot of experience and are outstanding at coaching their position groups, but as important a group of coaches that will build a strong culture that will allow us to compete at a high level.”
The following coaches have agreed to join Rogers’ staff as preparation begins for the 135th season in program history:
Keith Heckendorf – Quarterbacks – Full Bio
Heckendorf most recently served as offensive coordinator at Arkansas State for seven seasons, helping rewrite the Red Wolves record books. Fifteen of his offensive players have earned all-conference honors, while a pair of his quarterbacks were named Sun Belt Conference freshmen of the year and wide receiver Omar Bayless was the league’s player of the year. Prior to his time in Jonesboro, the Mosinee, Wisconsin native coached at North Carolina, tutoring Mitchell Trubisky from backup QB to the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Seth Hestness – Tight Ends – Full Bio
Hestness, a Mason City native and Wartburg graduate, joins Iowa State after spending the 2025 season in the same role at Army West Point. He coached alongside Cyclone offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl at North Dakota State in 2022 and 2023 when the Bison reached the FCS championship game and semifinals, respectively. While at NDSU, Hestness worked with the offensive line, as well as tight ends and fullbacks. Among the players he worked with included NFL Draft picks Cody Mauch and Grey Zabel.
John Johnson – Running Backs – Full Bio
Johnson, an El Dorado, Arkansas native who coached alongside Rogers at South Dakota State in 2017-18 and 2020, spent the 2025 season helping revitalize a New Mexico team that improved from 5-7 in 2024 to 9-3 last season, earning a bowl berth for the first time since 2016. Among his players, Pierre Strong Jr. was a back-to-back FCS All-American at South Dakota State and has spent four seasons on NFL rosters. Another Jackrabbit running back, Isaiah Davis, also earned All-America honors. Johnson started his playing career at Oklahoma State (2005-07).
Derrick Sherman – Wide Receivers – Full Bio
Sherman, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, arrives in Ames after spending the last four seasons working under Willie Fritz at Tulane and Houston. He helped tutor Houston wide receiver Amare Thomas as the playmaker earned First Team All-Big 12 honors in 2025. He coached running backs during Tulane’s 2022 season in which it finished 12-2 and defeated USC in the Cotton Bowl. His star pupil that season was Tyjae Spears, who was named an Honorable Mention All-American, American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-AAC and Cotton Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player. Spears was later selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jake Thornton – Offensive Line – Full Bio
Thornton, a Toccoa, Georgia native, comes to Iowa State after spending the previous five seasons coaching the offensive line at SEC schools Auburn (2023-25) and Ole Miss (2021-22). Thornton was an offensive line graduate assistant at Alabama during the school’s 2017 National Championship season, working with future NFL Draft picks Jonah Williams and Ross Pierschbacher.
