2016 Frontier Football Preview: The Head Coaches

When it comes to coaching in the Frontier Conference, things can go a variety of ways. Oftentimes, the league can be a stepping stone to jobs up the ladder, and that was certainly the case this past year. Other times, coaches can find a home and spend their entire careers there, and the Frontier has those, too.

No matter the direction, the coaching landscape certainly changed in the Frontier after the 2015 season, as both Rocky Mountain College (Brian Armstrong) and UM-Western (B.J. Robertson) lost their head coaches to the staff at Montana State University. In the case of RMC, a brand new head coach, but one with strong family ties to the league is now in charge in Billings, while Western has a new/old head coach at the helm.

Those are the changes this season in the coaching ranks as the 2016 Frontier schedule draws closer. So, here’s a look at each team in the league and a closer look at their head coaches.

Carroll College

Mike Van Diest (18th season)

In over 17 years as head coach at Carroll College, Mike Van Diest has led the Fighting Saints to six National Championships, 14 Frontier Conference Championships (including twelve straight titles from 2000-2011) for one of the most dominating runs in college football history. Van Diest has won 190 games and lost just 36 while in Helena, and has won over 89 percent of his contests.

While at Carroll College, Van Diest has coached 36 All-Conference linebackers with eight being named First Team All-Americans: Joe Horne (2001), Cory Perzinski (2002), Marcus Atkinson (2003), Gary Cooper (2004, 2005), Seamus Molloy (2006), Owen Koeppen (2007, 2008), Thomas Dolan (2010) and Sean Blomquist (2013). Horne, Atkinson, Cooper, Dolan and Blomquist (twice) were also named Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year. During his tenure as head coach Van Diest has been named Frontier Conference Coach of the Year 10 times. In 2003 and 2005 Van Diest was named NAIA National Coach of the Year by the American Football Association as well as the AFCA Coach of the Year in 2003, 2007 and 2010.

  Van Diest is a 1970 graduate of Helena High School. His career has included stops at his alma mater, the University of Wyoming, the University of Montana, the University of Massachusetts, and the Big Ten representative, Northwestern University, as an assistant coach. Van Diest has won titles at Montana (Big Sky Champions, 1982), Wyoming (two Western Athletic Conference Championships and one Pacific Division Championship, 1986) and 14 Frontier Conference Championships at Carroll, as well as the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2010 NAIA National Championships.

Eastern Oregon

Tim Camp (9th season)

Camp is now the second-longest tenured coach in the Frontier. During his time at the helm, Camp has compiled an overall record of 47-40, which is the second most wins in program history. Entering the 2016 season, Camp sits only two wins away from becoming the all-time winningest coach at EOU football history. Prior to Camp's arrival, EOU went 1-10 during the 2007 campaign. In no time, Camp turned things around, recording a 5-6 record in his inaugural season. The Mountaineers followed that up with a 7-4 mark in 2009, including a third-place finish in a highly-competitive Frontier Conference. 

Prior to becoming the head coach at EOU, Camp served as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers for two seasons. In addition to being the offensive line coach, Camp was also the recruiting and camp coordinator. Before making his way to La Grande, Camp served as the offensive coordinator at Bucknell University and the offensive line and tight ends coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. From 1997-2002, Camp served as offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, and strength & conditioning coordinator at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. In 2000, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Camp's collegiate coaching career began in 1996 at Western Oregon University, where he coached the offensive line, tight ends, and special teams. Camp was a four-year starter on the offensive line for the Oregon State Beavers and received all-conference accolades. After graduating from OSU, Camp signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers. 

Montana Tech

Chuck Morrell (6th Season)

The 2016 season is Head Coach Chuck Morrell’s sixth year at the helm of the Oredigger football program. He starts the 2016 season with a 25-29 overall record at Montana Tech and for his career. Morrell guided the Orediggers to a 10-2 overall record and a second Frontier Conference Championship and automatic post season appearance in his five seasons. After starting the season unranked, Tech rose to No. 5 in the final regular season poll, the highest ranking since 1997. The Orediggers hosted their first post season game since 1997 and first post season victory since 2005 defeating No. 18 Dickinson State 44-10. The Orediggers defeated perennial power Carroll College twice in 2015, a first since 1999. Ranked opponents feared the Diggers as Tech toppled No. 4 Carroll College, No. 1 Southern Oregon, No. 10 Montana Western and No. 18 Dickinson State. For his efforts, Morrell was named 2015 Frontier Coach of the Year.

A native of Billings, Morrell arrived at Tech from the University of South Dakota, where he served as the defensive coordinator in 2009.  Prior to his stint at USD, Morrell coached at the University of Sioux Falls from 1998 to 2009, where he served as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

During his time at Sioux Falls, the Cougars played in five NAIA national championship games, winning three titles (2006, 2008, 2009).  From 2006 to 2009, the Cougars were the most dominant program in the NAIA, with a record of 56-1 and their only loss in that span was in the 2007 national title game.  As a player at Sioux Falls, he was the leading tackler on the 1996 NAIA Division II national championship team.  Coach Morrell, who produced 44 All-Conference and 11 All-American defensive players at Sioux Falls, has released numerous DVDs on his "uptempo 3-4 defense." 

Southern Oregon

Craig Howard (6th Season)

When he was named SOU's 15th head coach in 2011, Howard boldly said that he would bring the program its first NAIA championship, and, four seasons in, he did just that. For his efforts, he was named the Rawlings NAIA Coach of the Year. His Raiders set a school record for wins in 2014 by going 13-2, the last one being a 55-31 triumph over Marian in the NAIA title game that gave the program its first-ever No. 1 ranking.

Within two years of being hired at SOU, Howard made the Raiders Frontier Conference champions in their first year as part of the circuit. He owns a 34-14 overall record – giving him the highest win percentage and the fourth-most wins in program history – including a 17-2 mark at home.

Raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, Howard returned to the Rogue Valley after a highly successful high school football coaching career in Florida. Prior to SOU, Howard went 76-23 over his last eight years as head coach at Nease High School (2003-07) and Columbia High School (2008-10) in Florida. At Nease High School he led the squad to the state title game three times, winning a state championship in 2005. His star pupil during his run at Nease was Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Over his last three years at Columbia High School, Howard's teams broke 30 school records.

Howard also has a background in college coaching and served as the head coach at Oregon Tech from 1991-92, where he compiled an 8-13 record and was undefeated against Southern Oregon. He served as defensive coordinator for the Owls from 1978-81 and again from 1987-89 and was defensive coordinator at Portland State from 1982-83.

MSU-Northern

Aaron Christenson (2nd Season)

Christensen begins his second season at Northern and is just the fourth head coach since the program was re-instated in the late 1990s. His Lights went through a rebuilding process in 2015, going 0-11, but also working toward the future the entire way with easily the youngest team in the Frontier Conference.

From 2012 to 2014, Coach Christensen served as the Offensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for Missouri Valley College.During that time, MVC won three consecutive Heart of America Athletics Conference Championships, had three NAIA FCS appearances, and one NAIA Football Championship Series semi-final appearance. Prior to becoming offensive coordinator, Christensen served as running backs' coach, wide receivers' coach, video coordinator and passing game coordinator for MVC. Christensen was on staff at MVC for five Heart of America Athletic Conference championships, seven NAIA Football Championship Series appearances, and three NAIA FCS semifinal games. 

Before arriving at MVC, Christensen attended Huron University where he earned All-Conference honors as a TE. Following his playing career, Christensen spent two seasons as a student coach coaching the tight ends at Huron. Prior to Huron, Christensen played at San Jose City College near his hometown of Hayward, California.

College of Idaho

Mike Moroski (3rd Season)

Mike Moroski is in his fourth year as head coach at the College of Idaho and has an 8-14 all-time record. He was named head coach in January of 2013 and led the Yotes through their "zero year" program, prior to the return to the field in September of 2014.

Moroski came to the College after three decades at UC-Davis – both as a player and a coach.  As offensive coordinator from 1993 to 2010, his schemes helped the Aggies to eight NCAA Division II postseason appearances, including three trips to the national quarterfinals and trips to the national semifinals in 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001.

UM-Western

Ryan Nourse (1st Season)

Nourse is beginning his second stint as Western’s head coach after serving as the school’s athletic director the past three seasons. Before accepting the role as AD, Nourse was the head football coach from the Spring of 2011 through the Spring of 2013, where he led the team for two regular seasons.

On top of serving as the head coach, Nourse will be the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and coach the kickers and punters. He will oversee all assistants and monitor recruiting, academics, camps, travel, and strength and conditioning.

In his first stint as the head man for Montana Western, he took over a 1-10 team that has suffered seven double-digit defeats, and led them to a 2-9 overall record and a 2-8 record in the Frontier Conference in his first season, that included a 55-16 beating of rival Montana Tech. The Bulldogs had five Frontier all-conference selections, including three first team selections. During the first year, Nourse also had 25 players named academic all-conference and two academic All-Americans.

Nourse has also served as the offensive coordinator at Morningside College in 2010-2011, his second stint at Morningside, where he also coached the quarterbacks and was the recruiting and camp coordinators. The offense ranked in the top-25 in total offense and scoring offense with Nourse at the helm. From 2008 to 2010, Nourse was the defensive coordinator at Truman State University in Missouri and served as the linebackers coach and the academic coordinator.

Nourse was at Morningside College from 2001 to 2008 where he spent his last six seasons (2003-2008) as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. During this stretch, he served as the strength and conditioning coordinator, recruiting coordinator and special teams coach. From 2004 to 2007 Nourse helped Morningside compile a 38-10 overall record and only allow 12 points per game on defense. The team also qualified for the NAIA National Playoffs every season, including quarterfinals appearances from 2005 to 2007 and three consecutive top-8 finishes in the NAIA rankings.

As a student-athlete at the University of Montana-Western, then Western Montana College, Nourse was on the 1993 and 1994 Frontier Conference championship teams as a wide receiver. In 1994, he helped lead his team to the NAIA National Semi-Finals. His 1994 team is now in the Montana Western athletics hall of fame for their accomplishments.

Rocky Mountain College

Jason Petrino (1st Season)

Petrino was named the 17th head football coach in Rocky Mountain College history on Jan. 21, 2016. He comes to Rocky after spending the past four years as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach under legendary coach Joe Glenn at the University of South Dakota. The 39-year-old replaced Brian Armstrong, who spent the last seven years leading the Battlin’ Bears.

Petrino has served as defensive coordinator in nine of the last 11 college football seasons. He has experience utilizing multiple fronts and schemes while coaching both defensive backs and linebackers. His belief is that success is achieved from having the right players who possess the proper fundamentals, rather than scheme. At Wyoming, where he served two tours (2003-04 as safeties coach and 2009-10 as director of football operations), Petrino was part of the defensive staff that helped the Cowboys secure bowl victories in the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl versus UCLA (24-21) and the 2009 New Mexico Bowl versus Fresno State (35-28). Between those bowl victories, Petrino spent three seasons as defensive coordinator at the University of Mary.

Petrino’s coaching career began in 2000 at his alma mater, Carroll College, where he coached the defensive backs on the 2002 NAIA National Championship team. He stayed on head coach Mike Van Diest’s Carroll College coaching staff for three seasons. From 1995 to 1999, Petrino was a team captain and second-team All-Frontier Conference defensive back for the Fighting Saints.

Editor’s Note: On Monday, the Havre Daily News will wrap up its series on the top returning players in the Frontier Conference with a look at the running backs.