He served as the head football coach at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin (1910), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (1911–1915), and Indiana University (1916–1921), compiling a career college football record of 59–23–4.

Stiehm was also the head basketball coach at Nebraska from 1911 to 1915 and at Indiana from 1919 to 1920, tallying a career mark of 69–22.

Stiehm began his coaching career at Ripon College in 1910, where he led the Red Hawks football team to a 4–3 record.

In the history of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football program, Stiehm has the highest winning percentage (.913) of anyone who coached more than two games.

Stiehm died on August 18, 1923, in Bloomington, Indiana, at the age of 37 after an 11-month bout with stomach cancer.