Dana Dimel, former UTEP football head coach has passed away at the age of 62.
As reported by his agent Pete Roussel, Dimel passed away in his sleep early Tuesday morning.
“Dana Dimel passed away in his sleep this morning. His passing is gut-wrenching. Dana was my favorite client over a decade ago and the single most enjoyable client to be with after a win,” Roussel said on X at 9:05Am MT. “He absolutely adored his children. He was one of the most positive people I knew, and he was unafraid of any challenge.”
Dimel was UTEP’s 26th football head coach in program history and held the job for six seasons. During that time, Dimel led UTEP to a 7-5 record and bowl game appearance in 2021, their first since 2014, and only the third time that the Miners have had a winning season and reached bowl eligibility since 2005.
Football had served as a crucial part of Dimel’s life. He began his career as a teenager, playing for Upper Arlington High School in Upper Arlington Ohio, his home state. Dimel was a defensive lineman and received First Team All-Central Ohio honors in 1980.
Dimel continued playing at Hutchinson Community College from 1982-1983. After his time at Hutchinson, Dimel moved to Kansas State, where he finished his collegiate career from 1984-1986. He was later named to the Kansas State all decade team for the 1980s. Dimel would be signed by the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings in June of 1987, and cut in August of that year.
After his release from the Vikings, Dimel continued his involvement in football by serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Kansas State, for nine years. During that stint the Wildcats achieved four consecutive Top 20 finishes in the college football rankings. In his final year at Kansas State, Dimel was promoted to be the offensive coordinator. That season, the Wildcats won nineteen games, which led Dimel to receive his first head coaching offer from the University of Wyoming.
In three seasons, Dimel posted a combined record of 22-13 with Wyoming, and received another head coaching offer from the University of Houston, where he coached for two years.
From 2006 to 2008 Dimel worked at the University of Arizona as a tight ends coach primarily and then their running game coordinator. During his tenure as running game coordinator, Arizona rattled off three wins against teams ranked in the Top 25.
Dimel then departed from Arizona to go back to Kansas State as an assistant coach for eight years. In his second stint, Dimel helped the Wildcats win a Big 12 championship in 2012, and punch their ticket to the Fiesta Bowl. Their quarterback at the, Collin Klein, was a finalist for the Heisman trophy the year prior.
After leaving UTEP, Dimel was hired as a senior offensive assistant for Illinois. In his final year of coaching Dimel was part of a team that beat the defending national champion, Michigan, and is currently ranked #23 in the AP top 25 poll.
“He had an incredible zest for life, on that would make those around him smile time and time again. I will miss Dana more than words can express.” Said Roussel on X.
Dimel is survived by his wife Julie, and his children, Winston and Josey.
Sebastian Perez-Navarro is a staff reporter for The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected]
