UMD Athletics

Head Football Coach
(1999-2003 and 2008-12)
Athletic Director
(2003-12)

Took the UMD football program to unprecedented heights during his 10 seasons on the sidelines ... Coached the Bulldogs to their first two NCAA Division II championships (2008 and 2010), six Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles (including a league-record five in a row from 2008 to 2012), six NCAA II playoff berths (2002 and 2008-2012) and its inaugural postseason appearance (the 2001 Mineral Water Bowl) ... Amassed a 100-26 overall record for a .793 career winning percentage and was the first NCAA II coach to ever turn in two perfect 15-0 seasons (2008 and 2010) ... His 2002 Bulldogs were also the first club in team history to go 11-0 during the regular season as well as qualify for the NCAA II playoffs ... Helped produce 30 All-Americans, 67 All-NSIC first team selections, two Harlon Hill Award finalists (running back Isaac Odim in 2009 and quarterback Ted Schlafke in 2008), five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and the 2012 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award recipient (Garth Heikkinen) ... Attained NSIC Coach of the Year recognition on three occasions (2002, 2008 and 2010) and was the winner of the prestigious Liberty Mutual DII Coach of the Year award in 2010 ... Was chosen the 2008 NCAA II Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly magazine, D2Football.com and the Football Gazette and two years later secured that same honor from the American Football Coaches Association and the Football Gazette ... Also served nine years as UMD’s athletic director and oversaw a sports program that won five national championships (two football, two women's hockey and one men's hockey) and 21 conference titles during that stretch ... Stepped down from his UMD football and athletic director positions in December 2012 to become the head coach at Western Illinois University... Spent three seasons (2013-15) with the Leathernecks before moving on to take the head coaching job at the University of South Dakota ... Guided Western Illinois to the second round of the 2015 NCAA FCS playoffs and did likewise with South Dakota in 2017 (the Coyotes' first-ever trip to that event) ... Was the recipient of the 2015 Missouri Valley Football Conference Coach of the Year Award.