Dana Dimel, a 1986 Kansas State graduate, serves as the co-offensive coordinator and running backs /tight ends coach for head coach Bill Snyder. Dimel began his third tour of duty with the Wildcats in 2009 after serving three seasons on Mike Stoops' staff at Arizona.
Last season, Dimel led a rushing offense that saw quarterback Collin Klein set a new Big 12 record and NCAA record by a quarterback with 27 rushing touchdowns. Klein surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season as well, while running back John Hubert, a first-year starter, just missed the 1,000-yard barrier on the season. K-State maintained one of the top rushing offenses in the Big 12 in 2011 en route to a 10-3 record and a berth in the 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl.
In 2010, Dimel co-coordinated a Wildcat offense that ranked third in the Big 12 and among the top 25 nationally at 33.6 points per game. K-State was also ranked among the top 10 teams in the country in total red zone efficiency and No. 1 nationally in TD percentage in the red zone. The Cats' 47-percent conversion rating on third down ranked second in the league, while they were also the least penalized offense in the Big 12.
In 2009 and 2010, Dimel had the charge of grooming a former junior college quarterback and molding him into a physical running back in the always tough Big 12 Conference. That player was Daniel Thomas and 2,850 yards and 30 touchdowns later, Thomas left Kansas State as a two-time Big 12 rushing champion, an All-American and one of the most decorated running backs in school history. Thomas ranks second in K-State history for career rushing yards, a feat he accomplished in just two seasons, fourth in rushing touchdowns and also finished second in single-season school history with 1,585 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in 2010. Thomas burst onto the scene in 2009 as he eclipsed the 100-yard mark five times in a game and finished the year with 1,265 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns en route to Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors.
Dimel joined Stoops' staff in early 2006 in his previous post to coach tight ends and then took on bigger responsibilities calling plays as the running game coordinator and H-backs coach. In 2008, he worked primarily with tight ends and later became running backs coach as well as the associate head coach for the Wildcats. Arizona finished 8-5 in 2008, which included its first bowl win in 10 years after a 31-21 triumph over No. 17 BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wildcats' top scoring threat in 2008 was Rob Gronkowski, a tight end tutored by Dimel. Gronkowski, despite missing the first three games of the season due to illness, was a unanimous First Team All-PAC-10 selection at tight end after collecting 47 receptions for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gronkowski was drafted by New England in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and has become one of the top tight ends in the NFL.
A K-State alumnus who lettered for the Wildcats in 1985 and 1986 as an offensive lineman, Dimel spent 10 years on the K-State staff from 1987 to 1996.
Kansas State's offensive line coach for much of his tenure, Dimel also served as offensive coordinator during the 1995 and 1996 campaigns. In 1995, his first at the controls of the Wildcat offense, Kansas State set school records for both touchdowns and total points as well as total offense.
During Dimel's coaching tenure at K-State, he mentored 11 offensive linemen who went on to sign NFL contracts. He was also instrumental in developing All-Americans Barrett Brooks, Jim Hmielewski and Quentin Neujahr along with all-conference selections Jason Johnson, Todd Weiner and Ryan Young.
In 1997, Dimel became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I when he was named head coach at the University of Wyoming at the age of 35. Dimel spent three years at Wyoming, guiding the Cowboys to an impressive 23-12 overall record, and left Laramie as one of only 10 head coaches at the time to win no fewer than seven games in every year as a head coach.
Considered one of the nation's most successful young head coaches at the time, Dimel led the Cowboys to eight-win seasons in both 1997 and 1998 before being named head coach at the University of Houston, where he guided the Cougars' football program from 2000-2002. While at Houston, his 2001 and 2002 recruiting classes were ranked No. 1 in Conference USA by Rivals.com. In his final season at Houston, Dimel's team finished 5-7, including a final-game win over conference champion Louisville. Also, running back Joffrey Reynolds set the Conference USA rushing mark of 1,545 yards. Dimel also had three players earn Academic All-America distinction at Wyoming, including linebacker Brian Lee, who was also a Consensus All-American linebacker.
During his career as a head or assistant coach, Dimel has coached 34 players who have gone on to play in the NFL. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Dimel and his wife, Julie, have a son, Winston, and a daughter, Josey.
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