Minot State University is a public university in Minot, North Dakota. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, MSU evolved into a university, and is currently the third-largest university in North Dakota, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks are the athletic teams that represent the University of North Dakota (UND), located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level as a member of the Summit League. With 17 varsity teams, North Dakota is best known for its Ice Hockey team and American Football team. North Dakota's main rivalries are with the North Dakota State Bison and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks represent the University of North Dakota, competing as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in the NCAA Division I's Football Championship Subdivision. From 1973 to 2008, they played in the NCAA's NCAA Division II, winning the national championship in 2001. From 1955 to 1972, they competed in the NCAA's College Division where they participated in and won three bowl games.
Roger Thomas is a former American college athletics administrator and American football coach. He was the athletic director at the University of Mary from 2008 to 2017. Thomas was previously the head football coach at Sioux Falls College—now known as the University of Sioux Falls—from 1976 to 1977 and at the University of North Dakota from 1986 to 1998. He was also the athletic director at North Dakota from 1999 to 2005. Subsequently, he served as the commissioner of the NCAA Division II's North Central Conference (NCC) from 2005 until the conference's demise in 2008.
Eugene Vincent Murphy was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of North Dakota from 1978 to 1979 and at California State University, Fullerton from 1980 to 1992, compiling a career college football coaching record 74–96–1.
The Nickel Trophy is presented to the winner of the currently annual football game between the rival University of North Dakota (UND) Fighting Hawks and the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison. The two universities are approximately 76 miles apart on the eastern border of North Dakota. The two schools suspended play in 2003 and resumed play in 2015. In the entire history of the rivalry, the game has never been contested anywhere beside Grand Forks or Fargo.
Paul Louis Roach was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach of the Wyoming Cowboys from 1987 to 1990, also serving as the University of Wyoming's athletic director from 1986 to 1996.
James Michael LeClair was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as a linebacker for 12 seasons, from 1972 to 1983, in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and two seasons, from 1984 to 1985, in the United States Football League (USFL) with the New Jersey Generals. LeClair played college football at University of Minnesota Crookston and the University of North Dakota. He served as the head football coach at Mayville State University in Mayville, North Dakota, from 1986 to 1988. LeClair was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1999.
Joseph John Cichy is an American attorney and former gridiron football player. He played college football primarily as a safety for the North Dakota State Bison. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 2001 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team represented University of North Dakota in the 2001 NCAA Division II football season. The Fighting Sioux won the NCAA Division II national championship, the team's first. Their head coach was Dale Lennon, a former fullback for the school. The team's quarterback was junior Kelby Klosterman, who threw thirty-two touchdowns and seven interceptions. The leading rusher was Jed Perkerewicz, who rushed for almost eight-hundred yards and seven touchdowns. Three receivers had at least eight touchdowns; Dan Graf had ten, Jesse Smith had nine, and Luke Schleusner had eight. Mac Schneider, an American attorney who now serves as United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, started three games in a backup role as offensive lineman for the team and served as team captain his senior year. The defense had a plus nineteen turnover margin and allowed fewer than thirteen points a game and just three rushing touchdowns all season. Eric Schmidt led the defense with ten sacks.
The 2003 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team represented the University of North Dakota (UND) in the 2003 NCAA Division III football season. In Dale Lennon's fifth year as head coach, the team compiled a record of 12–2 overall and won the North Central Conference (NCC) title with a 7–0 mark. North Dakota was led on offense by two quarterbacks in Jon Bowenkamp and Joe Wilson, running back Adam Roland, and receivers Dan Grossman and Team-Voted MVP Willis Stattelman. Co-captain Digger Anderson was the leading tackler on defense. North Dakota lost to Grand Valley State in the final of the NCAA Division II Football Championship, a reverse of the 2001 result.
The Marauders are the athletic teams that represent the University of Mary, located in Bismarck, North Dakota, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Marauders compete as members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for all 16 varsity sports. The University also is home to an ACHA men's hockey team. As of November 11, 2019, the University of Mary has discontinued their men's soccer program after 25 seasons of playing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Elvin John "Al" Cassell was an American football and basketball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan from 1926 to 1929, and Jamestown College—now known as the University of Jamestown—in Jamestown, North Dakota, from 1930 to 1946 and again from 1951 to 1953. His football record at Jamestown was 65–49–13. Cassell was also the athletic director and head basketball coach at Jamestown from 1930 to 1964.
Joel A. Swisher was an American college football coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Dakota State University (1973–1976), Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1977–1980), Adams State College (1982–1983), and Jamestown College (1992–1994), compiling a career college football head coaching record of 65–55–4. Swisher was also the athletic director at Dakota State from 1974 to 1977.
Robert "Bob" R. Young was an American football former player, coach, and Christian spiritual leader. A native of Beresford, South Dakota, he served as the head football coach at the University of Sioux Falls from 1983 to 2004, compiling a record of 172–69–3. His 1996 Sioux Falls Cougars team won the NAIA Football Championship. His football teams were also NAIA runners-up in 2001, semifinalists in 1997, 2002, 2003, and quarterfinalists in 1995, 1998, and 2004. Young won nine South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) titles and four Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) titles. His teams ran off conference winning streaks of 27 games from 1994 to 1999 and 34 games from 2001 to 2004. He is the winningest coach in Sioux Falls Cougars football history. Young was considered to be a spiritual leader within the lives of former players, often hosting virtual meetings with them to provide mentoring and spiritual guidance.
Herbert Mitchell Parker was an American educator, football and basketball coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Minot State Teacher's College—now known as Minot State University—from 1947 to 1949 and in 1951, compiling a record of 21–6–1. Parker was also the athletic director at Minot State from 1947 to 1959 and 1974 to 1976.
Josh Kotelnicki is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota from 2014 to 2017, compiling a record of 8–36. Kotelnicki was fired after three consecutive 1–10 seasons and replaced by Craig Bagnell. A native of Litchfield, Minnesota, Kotelnicki played college football at the University of North Dakota, where he was a starting outside linebacker on the 2001 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team, which won the NCAA Division II Football Championship.
Thomas Cyril "Cy" Kasper was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Alfred University in Alfred, New York from 1923 to 1924, Columbus College in Chamberlain, South Dakota from 1925 to 1927, and South Dakota State University from 1928 to 1933.
The 1958 North Dakota State Bison football team was an American football team that represented North Dakota State University during the 1958 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the North Central Conference. In their second year under head coach Bob Danielson, the team compiled a 3–6 record.
