MSUM football coach candidates on campus this week
The search committee for the MSUM Head Football Coach has recommended four candidates to interview. Campus/Media Open Forums are scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, Jan. 18, 19, 20 & 21 in Nemzek Hall, Room 150, from 3:15 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Steve Laqua – Fargo Shanley High School Head Football Coach – Tuesday, Jan. 18
Laqua, the 2009 and 2010 North Dakota class AA Coach of the Year, has served as Shanley’s Head Football Coach for the past four seasons. He has lead the Deacons to back-to-back State AA Championships in 2009 and 2010, ending this past season on a 20-game winning streak.
Prior to joining the prep-ranks, Laqua served as the Running Backs, Tight Ends and Punt Team Coach at North Dakota State from January 2005-March 2007, where he coached five All-Americans including Tyler Roehl and Mike Dragosavich. For the 2004 season, Laqua was the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles Offensive Coordinator, where he led an offense that led the NSIC in rushing yards, yards per attempt and least turnovers.
Russell Martin – University of Nebraska-Kearney Offensive Coordinator – Wednesday, Jan. 19
Martin has served the last six seasons as the Offensive Coordinator at UNK, leading the team to averaging just under 33 points and 400 yards per game in his tenure. In 2010, the Loper’s offense was nationally ranked in the top-20 statistical categories of total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense and passing efficiency. The back-to-back RMAC champions were ranked as high as eighth nationally during the regular season.
Martin’s football coaching experience started in the mid-1980’s at Baylor (Texas) and has spread across the Mid-West including stops at Kearney State (Neb.), Kansas Wesleyan, Black Hills State, Bethany (Kan.) and Southeast Missouri State. In 1995, he was named the Offensive Coordinator of the Year after he led Bethany’s offense to be nationally ranked first in scoring offense (50+ points/game) and total offense (551 yards/game). He served as the Head Football Coach at Black Hills State from 1996-2000, as he led the team to be nationally ranked among the top-10 in passing offense for three seasons.
Tyler Fenwick – Offensive Coordinator for Missouri Western State – Thursday, Jan. 20
Fenwick, no stranger to the area, served as the Dragons Offensive Coordinator in 2006, when the team posted a 6-5 record. It was the first winning record in seven years for the program and also the only winning record in the past 11 seasons.
Since departing MSUM after one season, Fenwick has served as the Offensive Coordinator for the Griffons, aiding the team to a 32-16 record in four seasons. This past year, the Griffons made an NCAA post-season appearance after participating in the Mineral Water Bowl in each season from 2007-09. He has coached 27 All-Conference selections at MWSU as well as the 2007 MIAA Freshman of the Year.
Aaron Vlcko – Offensive Coordinator-University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point – Friday, Jan. 21
Vlcko, a familiar face to the NSIC, spent a majority of his coaching career at Bemidji State (1996-2003) as he helped take the Beavers from a 2-8 record in his first season to a 7-4 mark in 2003 as the team’s Offensive Coordinator, exiting with the team’s overall record of 47-38 in his tenure.
After leaving BSU, Vlcko served as the Assistant Head Coach at Truman State (Mo.) from 2005-08, and served as the Bulldogs’ Interim Head Coach in 2009. This past year, he was the Offensive Coordinator at UWSP as he guided the offense to be the second ranked team in fewest sacks allowed, scoring and rushing offense in the WIAC, in which the team finished second behind the NCAA DIII National Champions.