Coaches
2009 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE
DANA DIMEL Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Dana Dimel, a 1986 Kansas State graduate, will coach the Wildcat running backs and serve a co-offensive coordinator for head coach Bill Snyder in 2009. The hire marks Dimel's third tour of duty with the Wildcats as he heads back to Manhattan after serving three seasons on Mike Stoops’ staff at Arizona. Dimel joined Stoops' staff in early 2006 to coach tight ends and then took on bigger responsibilities calling plays as the running game coordinator and H-backs coach. A year ago he worked primarily with tight ends and this past spring he became running backs coach as well as the associate head coach. Arizona finished 8-5 last season, which included its first bowl win in 10 years after a 31-21 triumph over No. 17 BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wildcats’ top scoring threat in 2008 was Rob Gronkowski, a tight end tutored by Dimel. Gronkowski, despite missing the first three games of the season due to illness, was a unanimous First Team All-PAC-10 selection and a third-team all-American at tight end after collecting 47 receptions for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns. During Dimel’s tenure in Tucson, Arizona boasted the first 1,000-yard and 500-yard rushers in the same backfield in school history with Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin. A K-State alumnus who lettered for the Wildcats in 1985 and 1986 as an offensive lineman, Dimel spent 10 years on the K-State staff from 1987 to 1996. Kansas State's offensive line coach for much of his tenure, Dimel also served as offensive coordinator during the 1995 and 1996 campaigns. In 1995, his first at the controls of the Wildcat offense, Kansas State set school records for both
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touchdowns and total points as well as total offense. During Dimel's coaching tenure at K-State, he mentored 11 offensive linemen who went on to sign NFL contracts. He was also instrumental in developing All-Americans Barrett Brooks, Jim Hmielewski and Quentin Neujahr along with allconference picks Jason Johnson, Todd Weiner and Ryan Young. In 1997, Dimel became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I when he was named head coach at the University of Wyoming at the age of 34. Dimel spent three years at Wyoming, guiding the Cowboys to an impressive 23-12 overall record, and left Laramie as one of only 10 head coaches at the time to win no fewer than seven games in every year as a head coach. Considered one of the nation's most successful young head coaches at the time, Dimel led the Cowboys to eight-win seasons in both 1998 and 1999, while his Cowboy teams were undefeated against BYU, Utah and TCU. Dimel was then named head coach at the University of Houston, where he guided the Cougars' football program from 2000-2002. While at Houston, his 2001 and 2002 recruiting classes were rated No. 1 in Conference USA by Rivals.com. In his final season in Houston, Dimel’s team finished 5-7, including a win in the final game over conference champion Louisville. Joffrey Reynolds also set the Conference USA rushing mark in Dimel’s final season with 1,545 yards. During his tenure as a head and assistant coach, Dimel has coached 34 players who have gone on to the NFL. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Dimel and his wife, Julie, have a son, Winston, and a daughter, Josie.
THE DIMEL FILE PERSONAL Year at K-State: 12th Date of Birth: Oct. 9, 1962 Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Spouse: Julie Children: Josey and Winston
EDUCATION Kansas State (1986), B.A. Marketing
PLAYING EXPERIENCE Hutchinson C.C, Offensive Line (1983-84) Kansas State, Offensive Line (1985-86)
COACHING EXPERIENCE 1987-88 ..............................................................Kansas State, graduate assistant 1989-92 ............................................................Kansas State, assistant coach (OL) 1993-94............................................................Kansas State, run game coord. (OL) 1995-96............................................................Kansas State, offensive coordinator 1997-99 ................................................................................Wyoming, head coach 2000-02..................................................................................Houston, head coach 2005 ....................................................................Kansas State, graduate assistant 2006 ..........................................................................Arizona, assistant coach (TE) 2007-08 ......................................................Arizona, associate head coach (TE/RB)
BOWL EXPERIENCE 1992 Coca-Cola Bowl (Kansas State) 1993 Copper Bowl (Kansas State) 1994 Aloha Bowl (Kansas State) 1995 Holiday Bowl (Kansas State) 1997 Cotton Bowl (Kansas State) 2008 Las Vegas Bowl (Arizona)