Finalists to Interview in Bozeman
6/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Three successful head coaches and a long-time Division I assistant comprise the list of finalists for Montana State’s head football coaching vacancy, Bobcat Athletic Director Peter Fields announced Friday.
Drake head coach Rob Ash, Duke assistant coach Larry Kerr, North Dakota head coach Dale Lennon, and Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest each interview at Montana State next week.
“We began with an excellent pool of candidates, and made a lot of difficult choices,” said Jim Rimpau, MSU’s Executive Director of Planning and Analysis and Chief Information Officer, who chaired the committee charged with compiling the list of finalists. “I believe we’re all very happy with these candidates.”
The winningest head coach two different schools, Ash just completed his 18th year at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, with a 125-63-2 career mark. Drake’s 9-2 record last year is the third-best in school history, and the Bulldogs own four conference championships in the Pioneer Football League under Ash’s direction. He is a three-time league coach of the year at Drake, and also compiled a 51-36-3 mark in eight years at Juniata (Huntingdon, Pa.). Ash played quarterback at Cornell College in Iowa, earning First Team Academic All-America and Honorable Mention Little All-America honors as a senior in 1972. He also earned an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship.
Kerr finished his first season as outside linebackers coach at Duke last year. He spent the previous three seasons as well as the 1989 campaign as a UCLA assistant, and from 1993-2002 worked as an assistant for former Bobcat head coach Sonny Lubick at Colorado State. Kerr has also made stops at Northern Arizona (1990-92), Stanford (1983-88), San Jose State (1980-82), and Cal State Northrige (1979). A 1975 SJSU graduate, Kerr’s coaching career began in the California high school ranks.
A former standout at North Dakota, Lennon has led the Fighting Sioux to one Division II National Championship, one runner-up finish, and four North Central Conference Championships since returning to his alma mater as head coach in 1999. Lennon was 12-9 in two seasons at Mary (1997-98), and served as a North Dakota assistant from 1988-96. He also served as an assistant at Northern State (1986), Valley City State (1986), and Dickinson State (1987). Lennon was a team captain, most valuable offensive back, and honorable mention NCC as a fullback in 1983.
Since taking over the Carroll College program in 1999, Van Diest has led the Fighting Saints to the pinnacle of NAIA football. The Saints have won four National Championships and seven Frontier Conference crowns in his eight seasons at the Helena school. He has won or shared Frontier Conference Coach of the Year honors seven times. Prior to returning to his hometown, Van Diest coached at Northwestern (1987-91), Massachusetts (1986), Montana (1980-85), and served two stints at Wyoming (1976-79, 1996-98). A 1975 Wyoming graduate, Van Diest was a three-year letterman for the Cowboys.
“From my perspective, the committee did a good job getting through nearly 80 candidates,” Rimpau said. “It was tough taking to 11 the telephone interviews, and even tougher to take it down to five finalists. But the committee worked very hard, and we should get a good football coach out of the process.”
Montana State’s search committee consisted of Rimpau, Camie Bechtold (Athletics), Dan Davies (Athletics), Mark Fellows (Quarterback Club), Sue Monohan (Sociology Dept.), J.C. Murray (M Club), Scott Myers (Sociology Dept.), Bob Oakberg (Faculty Athletics Representative), Chris Remely (Bobcat Club), Gene Thayer (Capital Campaign), and Tom White (Quarterback Club).
Drake head coach Rob Ash, Duke assistant coach Larry Kerr, North Dakota head coach Dale Lennon, and Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest each interview at Montana State next week.
“We began with an excellent pool of candidates, and made a lot of difficult choices,” said Jim Rimpau, MSU’s Executive Director of Planning and Analysis and Chief Information Officer, who chaired the committee charged with compiling the list of finalists. “I believe we’re all very happy with these candidates.”
The winningest head coach two different schools, Ash just completed his 18th year at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, with a 125-63-2 career mark. Drake’s 9-2 record last year is the third-best in school history, and the Bulldogs own four conference championships in the Pioneer Football League under Ash’s direction. He is a three-time league coach of the year at Drake, and also compiled a 51-36-3 mark in eight years at Juniata (Huntingdon, Pa.). Ash played quarterback at Cornell College in Iowa, earning First Team Academic All-America and Honorable Mention Little All-America honors as a senior in 1972. He also earned an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship.
Kerr finished his first season as outside linebackers coach at Duke last year. He spent the previous three seasons as well as the 1989 campaign as a UCLA assistant, and from 1993-2002 worked as an assistant for former Bobcat head coach Sonny Lubick at Colorado State. Kerr has also made stops at Northern Arizona (1990-92), Stanford (1983-88), San Jose State (1980-82), and Cal State Northrige (1979). A 1975 SJSU graduate, Kerr’s coaching career began in the California high school ranks.
A former standout at North Dakota, Lennon has led the Fighting Sioux to one Division II National Championship, one runner-up finish, and four North Central Conference Championships since returning to his alma mater as head coach in 1999. Lennon was 12-9 in two seasons at Mary (1997-98), and served as a North Dakota assistant from 1988-96. He also served as an assistant at Northern State (1986), Valley City State (1986), and Dickinson State (1987). Lennon was a team captain, most valuable offensive back, and honorable mention NCC as a fullback in 1983.
Since taking over the Carroll College program in 1999, Van Diest has led the Fighting Saints to the pinnacle of NAIA football. The Saints have won four National Championships and seven Frontier Conference crowns in his eight seasons at the Helena school. He has won or shared Frontier Conference Coach of the Year honors seven times. Prior to returning to his hometown, Van Diest coached at Northwestern (1987-91), Massachusetts (1986), Montana (1980-85), and served two stints at Wyoming (1976-79, 1996-98). A 1975 Wyoming graduate, Van Diest was a three-year letterman for the Cowboys.
“From my perspective, the committee did a good job getting through nearly 80 candidates,” Rimpau said. “It was tough taking to 11 the telephone interviews, and even tougher to take it down to five finalists. But the committee worked very hard, and we should get a good football coach out of the process.”
Montana State’s search committee consisted of Rimpau, Camie Bechtold (Athletics), Dan Davies (Athletics), Mark Fellows (Quarterback Club), Sue Monohan (Sociology Dept.), J.C. Murray (M Club), Scott Myers (Sociology Dept.), Bob Oakberg (Faculty Athletics Representative), Chris Remely (Bobcat Club), Gene Thayer (Capital Campaign), and Tom White (Quarterback Club).
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
