Former Beaver Max Buduris got the 'football bug,' returns to program as nickels coach

Aug. 13—BEMIDJI — Max Buduris thought he may have been done with football. After excelling at linebacker for the Bemidji State football team from 2019 to 2023, Buduris wanted to continue his football career, but couldn't find a place to play once he graduated. He pivoted to pursue strength coaching, something he studied and interned for at BSU. In 2025, he became the strength coach at Providence Christian Academy, a private K-12 school in Lilburn, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta. For Buduris and his relationship with football, the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" couldn't be more true. So when fall came and the high school football team needed an assistant coach, it was a position he couldn't pass up. "As time went on, just getting away from football, I missed it so much," he explained. "Getting around it again, I had to get back to football." Buduris officially caught the football bug. He contacted Bemidji State head coach Brent Bolte and inquired about becoming a coach for the squad for the upcoming 2026 season. Bolte loved to hear from one of his old players, but he was upfront with Buduris. He detailed what coaching at the collegiate level is all about, what it would entail and how it's not for everyone. He gave Buduris a few days to think about it until he reached out asking if he was interested in coaching on defense. "I said, 'Absolutely, would love to get back to Bemidji.' And then as that process went on, I finished out my time down there in Atlanta as a teacher," Buduris said. "Then once that ended, I was on my way up here in a couple weeks." Buduris is now back on the field for the Beavers as a nickels coach. Things may be a little different — he cut his once-trademark long hair and no longer puts on the pads. But given his experience and his role on playoff-level teams, he's hoping to boost the BSU defense for a bounce-back year. "I've been having a blast getting to coach ball," he said. "(I'm) learning from Coach Bolte — got to learn from him as a player, get to learn from him as a coach. Also being in a familiar environment that I love, it's been a blast. It's awesome to be back here." Early in his Bemidji State career, Buduris was hungry to get on to the football field. The Illinois native appeared on special teams in 2019 and 2021 with occasional appearances on defense, but he eventually got his chance to start as a linebacker in 2022. He quickly became one of the Beavers' most important players on that side of the ball. He recorded 61 tackles in 2022, third most on the team, and collected four and a half sacks, second most on the squad. Buduris and the talented defense helped BSU finish 9-2 and earn a playoff berth. "Literally every position on the field was All-Conference players," Buduris said. "We just had a great defense, so everybody was doing their jobs. I just got a lot of opportunity because of the position I played. So it was a great time, won a lot of football games." That year, BSU hosted its first home playoff game against NSIC rival Winona State, winning 31-7, one of the highlights of his career. "It was a cold one," Buduris recalled, "so that was awesome. One of the best memories here." His senior season in 2023 turned out to be his best. He led the team in tackles with 68, collected three and a half sacks and recorded his first and only collegiate pick-six against Concordia-St. Paul. Bemidji State finished 8-2 and was an underdog in the first round of the playoffs against undefeated Texas-Permian Basin. But in a defensive slugfest, Buduris and the Beavers walked away with a 10-3 win, earning another home playoff game against Central Washington. BSU came close to winning that game, too, but it let an early lead slip in a 21-17 loss. At the beginning of training camp in August, returning to Chet Anderson Stadium as a coach instead of a player comes with a new feeling for Buduris. "It's definitely different, because I'm used to putting the pads on with the guys," he said. "But since there was a little bit of time separated — I mean, it would always be nice to put the pads back on — but no, my time's done. Game's far away from me now." Some of his former teammates, like Caden Bolte and L'Shawn Taylor, are still on the team. Those two are now captains, keeping the defense to a high standard that Buduris saw when he wore the green and white. "I think the way they're getting after it right now, intensity-wise, has been what I'm used to," he said. "So that's why I think that they're going to have a great year, have fun, continue to grow on what we've done in the past and just do anything."