Craig Bohl

Last updated

Craig Bohl
Bohl.jpg
Bohl holding one of his FCS National Championship trophies in 2013
Biographical details
Born (1958-07-27) July 27, 1958 (age 66)
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Playing career
1977–1979 Nebraska
Position(s) Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1981–1983 Nebraska (GA)
1984 North Dakota State (DB)
1985–1986 Tulsa (LB)
1987–1988 Wisconsin (LB)
1989–1993 Rice (DC)
1994 Duke (DC/LB)
1995–1999Nebraska (LB)
2000–2002Nebraska (DC/LB)
2003–2013North Dakota State
2014–2023 Wyoming
Head coaching record
Overall165–92
Bowls4-2
Tournaments13–1 (NCAA D-I playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As a head coach

3 NCAA Division I FCS (2011–2013)
1 Great West (2006)
3 MVFC (2011–2013)
1 MW Mountain Division (2016)

Contents

As an assistant coach
3 National (1994, 1995, 1997)
4 Big Eight (1981–83, 19995)
1 Big 12 (1997)
2 Big 12 North Division (1996, 1997)
Awards
2× Eddie Robinson Award (2012–2013)
2× AFCA Coach of the Year (2012–2013)
Great West Coach of the Year (2006)
3× MVFC Coach of the Year (2011–2013)
MW Coach of the Year (2016)

Craig Philip Bohl (born July 27, 1958) is an American retired college football coach and former player. Prior to announcing his retirement from coaching at the conclusion of the 2023 football season, he was the head football coach at the University of Wyoming for 10 seasons. Before being hired in Laramie, he was the head coach at North Dakota State University in Fargo from 2003 to 2013, where he led the Bison to three consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championships in his final three seasons.

Early years

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Bohl was a reserve defensive back for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1977 to 1979. He earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1982.

Coaching career

Bohl at 2016 Mountain West Media Days MountainWestMD-2016-0726-CraigBohl.png
Bohl at 2016 Mountain West Media Days

Assistant coaching

Bohl was an assistant coach for many different programs for 19 years, including at his alma mater Nebraska for eight seasons, the last three as defensive coordinator. He was a coach for two national championship teams at Nebraska, in 1995 and 1997. [1]

North Dakota State

Bohl was hired as head coach at NDSU in 2003. As its 29th head football coach, he guided the storied program as it transitioned from Division II, where they had won eight national championships, to Division I. Four years after completing the move, he led the Bison to their first ever FCS Championship title in 2011, beating Sam Houston State 17–6 in the final. On January 1, 2013, North Dakota State gave Bohl an eight-year contract extension through the 2020 season, and four days later, he rewarded them by leading the Bison to their second consecutive FCS Championship, defeating Sam Houston State again, 39−13. [2]

In the 2013 season opener on August 30, NDSU upset defending Big 12 champion Kansas State 24–21. Bohl won more games than any other NDSU head football coach; he surpassed Rocky Hager on September 21 with his 92nd win.

On Saturday, January 4, 2014, he led the Bison to their third straight FCS football championship, downing Towson 35–7. The Bison were the second team in FCS history to three straight national championships, after Appalachian State (2005–2007).

Wyoming

Bohl was hired at Wyoming of the Mountain West Conference in December 2013 and took over in January, after leading North Dakota State to the 2013 FCS title. [3] [4]

Following two difficult seasons with a combined record of 6–18 (4–12 in conference play), Bohl's Cowboys went 8–4 (6–2 in conference play) to win the Mountain Division in 2016. On November 29, 2016, Bohl was selected as the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. [5] On the eve of Wyoming's first conference championship game in twenty years, Wyoming gave Bohl a contract extension through 2023. [6] Wyoming was invited to their first bowl game in five seasons at the end of the 2016 season, the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl, losing to BYU, 24–21.

In 2017, Wyoming again finished with a winning record, and were invited to the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, defeating Central Michigan 37–14. This marked the first time since the 1987-86 seasons that Wyoming had played in bowl games in consecutive years. [1] Wyoming reached bowl eligibility in 2018 and 2019, and were invited to the 2019 Arizona Bowl, defeating Georgia State 38–17.

In 2020, Bohl again received a contract extension, this time through the 2024 season. [7]

On December 6, 2023, Bohl announced his retirement from the Wyoming program, effective after the Cowboys' Arizona Bowl appearance on December 30. [8]

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs Media#Coaches°
North Dakota State Bison (North Central Conference)(2003)
2003 North Dakota State 8–35–2T–2nd1022
North Dakota State Bison (Great West Conference)(2004–2007)
2004 North Dakota State 8–32–33rdIneligible2323
2005 North Dakota State 7–43–23rdIneligible
2006 North Dakota State 10–14–01stIneligible55
2007 North Dakota State 10–13–12ndIneligible99
North Dakota State Bison (Missouri Valley Football Conference)(2008–2013)
2008 North Dakota State 6–54–4T–4th
2009 North Dakota State 3–82–67th
2010 North Dakota State 9–54–4T–3rdL NCAA Division I Quarterfinal 99
2011 North Dakota State 14–17–1T–1stW NCAA Division I Championship 11
2012 North Dakota State 14–17–11stW NCAA Division I Championship 11
2013 North Dakota State 15–08–01stW NCAA Division I Championship 11
North Dakota State:104–3249–24
Wyoming Cowboys (Mountain West Conference)(2014–present)
2014 Wyoming 4–82–6T–5th (Mountain)
2015 Wyoming 2–102–66th (Mountain)
2016 Wyoming 8–66–2T–1st(Mountain)L Poinsettia
2017 Wyoming 8–55–3T–2nd (Mountain)W Famous Idaho Potato
2018 Wyoming 6–64–43rd (Mountain)
2019 Wyoming 8–54–44th (Mountain)W Arizona
2020 Wyoming 2–42–48th
2021 Wyoming 7–62–6T–4th (Mountain)W Famous Idaho Potato
2022 Wyoming 7–65–3T–2nd (Mountain)L Arizona
2023 Wyoming 9–45–3T–4thW Arizona
Wyoming:61–6037–41
Total:165–92
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth
  • #Rankings from the final Dopke poll for North Dakota State (2003), final Sports Network poll for North Dakota State (2004–2013), and AP Poll for Wyoming from 2014 to present..
  • °Rankings from the AFCA Poll for North Dakota State (2003), FCS Coaches' Poll for North Dakota State (2004–2013) and USA Today Coaches' Poll for Wyoming (2014–present)..

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota Fighting Hawks football</span> Football team for the University of North Dakota

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota State Bison football</span> College Football team of North Dakota State University

The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in the 19,000-seat Fargodome located in Fargo. The Bison have won 18 national championships and 38 conference championships. They have won 10 NCAA Division I AA FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2024. The Bison hold the record for most overall NCAA national championships and the record for the most consecutive championships with five titles between 2011 and 2015 for Division I FCS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota State Bison</span> College sports team

The North Dakota State Bison are the athletic teams of North Dakota State University (NDSU), which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd". The current logo is a bison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes football</span> Virginian college American football team

The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Bradley</span> American football coach and former player (born 1966)

Paul Casey "Gus" Bradley is an American football coach who most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks from 2009 to 2012, where he was the original playcaller of the team's Legion of Boom secondary. Bradley later served as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013 to 2016. Following his dismissal from Jacksonville, he returned to assistant coaching and became the Colts' defensive coordinator in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2011 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison were led by ninth year head coach Craig Bohl and played their home games at the Fargodome. They are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 14–1, 7–1 in MVFC play to share the conference title with Northern Iowa.

Scott Gregory Hazelton is an American college football coach. He is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Wake Forest University, positions he has held since 2025. He also coached for Fort Lewis, North Dakota State, St. Olaf, Missouri Southern, Michigan Tech, USC, Nevada, Wyoming, Kansas State, Michigan State, Texas, and the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Fort Lewis as a linebacker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by tenth-year head coach Craig Bohl and played their home games at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. North Dakota State entered the season as the defending NCAA Division I Football and Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) champions. In 2012, the Bison won their second straight MVFC title posting, a 7–1 conference record and 10–1 overall mark in the regular season. In the FCS playoffs they defeated South Dakota State, Wofford, Georgia Southern, and Sam Houston State to finish the season 14–1 and win their second consecutive national title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> In the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2013 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach Craig Bohl, in his 11th and ultimately final season, as he left to become the head coach at Wyoming after the season. The team, which played their 21st season in the Fargodome, entered the season as the two-time defending national champions. The Bison have been members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference since the 2008 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Klieman</span> American football coach (born 1967)

Christopher Paul Klieman is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Kansas State University, a position he has held since the 2019 season. Klieman served as the head football coach at North Dakota State University from 2014 to 2018. He succeeded the retiring Bill Snyder at Kansas State after leading the North Dakota State Bison to four NCAA Division I Football Championship titles in five seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2006 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison head coach is Craig Bohl, in his fourth season as head coach of the team. The Bison play at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. North Dakota State competes in the FCS division of college football. In 2006, the Bison finished with a record of 10–1, and were the conference champions at 4–0. While being ranked #4 at the end of the year, NDSU was ineligible to make the playoffs per NCAA Division I rules which mandates a four-year probationary period for new football programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Chris Klieman. The team played their 25th season in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison finished the season 14–1, 7–1 in MVFC play to win the MVFC championship for the seventh consecutive year. As a result, the Bison received the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs as the No. 2 seed. In the playoffs, they defeated San Diego, Wofford, and Sam Houston State to advance to the National Championship game. There they defeated James Madison 17–13 to win the school's sixth National Championship in seven years. The September 30 game against Missouri State was the 700th victory since the team's founding in 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Entz</span> American football coach (born 1972)

Matthew John Entz is an American college football coach who is the head football coach at California State University, Fresno, a position he has held since 2025. He also served as the head coach at North Dakota State University from 2019 to 2023. Entz took over from the departing Chris Klieman after Klieman led the 2018 North Dakota State Bison football team to the program's seventh NCAA Division I Football Championship in eight seasons. Entz was the defensive coordinator for the Bison from 2014 until his promotion following the 2018 season. He was the linebackers coach and assistant head coach for defense at the University of Southern California (USC) for the 2024 season.

The 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the North Dakota State Bison and the Towson Tigers. It was played on January 4, 2014, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The culminating game of the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season, it was won by North Dakota State, 35–7.

Brent Erick Vigen is an American football coach and former player. Vigen is currently the head coach for the Montana State Bobcats. He was previously the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Wyoming. He has spent the majority of his coaching career on Craig Bohl's staffs.

Tim Polasek is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at North Dakota State. Prior to becoming the 32nd head coach in program history, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2021–2023 at Wyoming under former Bison head coach, Craig Bohl.

Jacob Dickert is an American college football coach, who is the current head coach at Wake Forest. He was the head coach at Washington State University from 2021–2024. Dickert attended school and played football at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, and has coached at various colleges and universities since his graduation in 2007.

A. J. Cooper is an American football coach and former tight end. He has been an assistant coach for various college football programs since 2006. He currently is the Linebackers coach for Arizona State.

The 2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 34th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 8th consecutive season with 10 teams, and would be their last for now as they added North Dakota in the following offseason.

References

  1. 1 2 "Craig Bohl - Football Coach - University of Wyoming Athletics". GoWyo.com. University of Wyoming. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  2. ↑ Bison Repeat as FCS National Champions With 39-13 Win Over Sam Houston State
  3. ↑ "Bohl to be Named Head Coach at Wyoming, Will Coach NDSU Through Playoffs" (Press release). North Dakota State University Athletics. December 8, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Craig Bohl Hired as Wyoming Head Football Coach". Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Coach of the Year". Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  6. ↑ Foster, Brandon (December 2, 2016). "Wyoming extends head football coach Craig Bohl through 2023 season". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  7. ↑ Potter, Davis (October 29, 2020). "Wyoming extends Craig Bohl's contract through 2024 season". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ Seeman, Nick (December 6, 2023). "Craig Bohl Announces His Retirement as Head Coach of Wyoming Football". Wyoming Cowboys Athletics. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.