CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Dana Dimel joined the Illinois football program as a senior offensive assistant, head coach
Bret Bielema announced Monday. Dimel (DIMM-uhl), a veteran mentor with 12 seasons as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Fighting Illini staff.
"We are so excited to bring Dana, and his long history of experiences throughout his career, to Illinois," Bielema said. "He will be a great voice and another experienced coach on our staff."
"My family and I are very much looking forward to joining Coach Bielema," Dimel said. "He is an outstanding football coach and leader and I have always admired how his teams play the game. We can't wait to start working with the talented staff to help the program and players reach high levels of success."
Dimel comes to Illinois after most recently serving as the head coach at UTEP for six seasons from 2018 to 2023. During his time with the Miners, Dimel took on his latest rebuild, leading the program back from a combined 2-22 start in his first two seasons to a 7-6 mark including a berth in the 2021 New Mexico Bowl in Year 3.
Dimel's first head coaching opportunity came at Wyoming from 1997 to 1999, a post that at the time made him the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I FBS at the age of 34. The Columbus, Ohio native led the Cowboys to three straight winning seasons, posting an overall record of 22-13, and a 14-9 conference record over two seasons in the Western Athletic Conference before guiding UW in the inaugural season of the Mountain West.
Following his successful stint at Wyoming, Dimel spent three seasons (2000-02) leading the Houston Cougars program. At Houston, he spearheaded another major rebuilding effort by attracting C-USA's top-ranked recruiting classes in both 2001 and 2002. In 2002, he orchestrated an impressive year-over-year turnaround by guiding the Cougars to five wins following a 0-11 campaign in 2001. UH capped that season with an upset victory over the conference champion Louisville Cardinals in Dimel's final game at the helm.
A product of Kansas State legend Bill Snyder's coaching tree, Dimel served three stints on Snyder's staff at KSU following an All-America playing career as an offensive tackle for the Wildcats from 1984 to 1986. Dimel signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings and attended training camp in 1987 before embarking on his coaching career. He was later recognized as a member of the Wildcats' All-Decade Team for the 1980's.
Dimel began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in Manhattan in 1987 and 1988 leading into eight seasons (1989-96) as an assistant coach. He returned to K-State for one season in 2005, continuing progress toward his graduate degree, then spent three years as an assistant coach working with tight ends and running backs at Arizona (2006-08).
Prior to his stint at UTEP, Dimel returned to K-State for the third time and spent nine seasons (2009-17) as the program's offensive coordinator and running backs/tight ends coach.
Dimel was instrumental in four consecutive final rankings in the AP Top-25 in his first coaching run at Kansas State. As the Wildcats' OC in 1995 and 1996, he helped lead the team to a combined 19 wins and final AP rankings of No. 7 and No. 17, respectively.
Overall Dimel was a part of 12 bowl teams during 19 seasons in Manhattan. The Wildcats posted an 11-win season (2012) with a Big 12 Championship, two 10-win campaigns (1995 and 2011) and five nine-win seasons (1993, 1994, 1996, 2014, and 2016) during that span, and finished in the top-25 of the BCS and CFP rankings on three occasions – 2011 (No. 8 BCS), 2012 (No. 5 BCS), and 2014 (No. 11 CFP).
Dimel compiled the most wins of any active offensive coordinator in college football from 2011-17 (61) and was a part of eight straight bowl appearances. With Dimel calling the plays over those seven seasons, the Wildcats averaged 33.4 points per game and 6.2 yards per play, and they ranked third nationally in fewest turnovers per game behind LSU and Alabama during that period.
Throughout his career, Dimel has earned a reputation for helping players reach their peak potential. K-State quarterback Collin Klein became a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012 after passing for 2,641 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 920 yards and 23 scores. That came a year after Dimel helped guide Klein to a Big 12 record and NCAA record by a quarterback with 27 rushing touchdowns while surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 2011. Klein's successor under center for the Wildcats, Jake Waters, then broke the school marks for single-season passing yards (3,501) and total offensive yards (3,985).
Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett set the school's career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdown records. Running backs john Hubert and Daniel Thomas also excelled in Dimel's offense. Hubert concluded his career as the Wildcats' No. 2 all-time leading rusher (2,993 yards), while Thomas recorded 2,850 yards and 30 touchdowns to close his KSU career as a two-time Big 12 rushing champion, an All-American and the school's no. 3 all-time rusher.
At Arizona, Dimel developed Rob Gronkowski, who emerged as one of the top tight ends in NFL history after winning three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and adding a fourth Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At Houston, Dimel coached Joffrey Reynolds, who broke the C-USA season rushing record with 1,545 yards.
During his initial tenure at K-State, Dimel coordinated an offense that established school records for touchdowns, points and yards in 1995. He mentored 11 offensive linemen who went on to sign NFL contracts over those 10 years, and was instrumental in developing All-Americans Barrett Brooks, Jim Hmielewski and Quentin Neujahr.
Overall, in his 31 seasons as a head or assistant coach, Dimel has mentored 37 players who have gone on to play in the NFL.
Dimel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from Kansas State in 1986.
Dimel and his wife, Julie, have a son, Winston and a daughter, Josey. Winston was a three-time All-Big 12 fullback at Kansas State before transferring to play under his father in his first season as UTEP head coach in 2018.
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