news
FACULTY, STAFF RETIREES HONORED
Seven members of the faculty and staff retired in spring 2017. They have a combined total of 87 years of service to Concordia. They are Pat Bastion, dean’s office, 13 years; Rich Glas, athletics, nine years; Dr. Linda Keup, Offutt School of Business, 16 years; Linda Nelson, Concordia Language Villages, 21 years; Dr. Sue Oatey, Student Affairs, four years; Dr. Zacharie Petnkeu, world languages and cultures, 11 years; and Thomas Staker, Concordia Language Villages, 13 years. ◊ (back row) Dr. Zacharie Petnkeu, Rich Glas, Dr. Linda Keup; (front row) Pat Bastion, Dr. Sue Oatey
100TH YEAR OF COBBER FOOTBALL
Concordia’s 2017 season marked the 100th campaign of Cobber football. “I am honored to be a small part of the incredible football tradition at the college,” said head coach Terry Horan. “It’s amazing to think of all the great players and coaches who have put on the uniform to represent Concordia.” Concordia started football in 1916 but did not field a team in 1918 or 1919 due to lack of interest. The Cobbers then continued the program in 1920 and have played every year since. Concordia captured the league crown 18 different times in the program’s history with the last conference championship coming in 2004. The Cobbers have appeared in the NCAA playoffs on six different occasions, most recently in backto-back seasons in 2004-05. The Cobbers have also claimed three NAIA National Championships (1964, 1978 and 1981) in the storied tradition of the program. Concordia has only had nine coaches in the first 100 years of the program. Jake Christiansen’s arrival in 1941 marked the start of a 76-year period where Concordia would only have three coaches: Christiansen for 28 years from 1941-68, Hall of Famer Jim Christopherson for 32 years from 19692000, and Horan, who just finished his 17th year. Christiansen, Christopherson and Horan are the only coaches in Cobber football history to win 100 games. ◊
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concordia magazine
FOUR INDUCTED INTO ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
Concordia inducted three former student-athletes and a former coach/current administrator into the Athletic Hall of Fame in September: former men’s and women’s soccer coach and current Sports Information Director Jim Cella, women’s basketball standout Brandi (Myers) Rostad ’02, women’s swimming All-American Shana Letnes Erickson ’01 and football standout Tory Langemo ’97. ◊