Mel Tjeerdsma, the 2007 FieldTurf and Howie Long Division II Coach of the Year, enters his 15th season at Northwest Missouri State and his 25th as a collegiate head coach. The winningest coach in program history, Tjeerdsma has guided the Bearcats to nine MIAA championships overall, two NCAA national championships and five title game appearances in the last 10 seasons.

Northwest was 0-11 in Tjeerdsma’s first season in 1994. The team has lost 27 games since.

Four years after his inaugural season with the team, the Bearcats became the first NCAA Division II squad to finish a season 15-0. Northwest won back-to-back national championships in 1998 and 1999. It was the University’s first national titles in any sport. Tjeerdsma was named AFCA National Coach of the Year following both of his championship seasons.

Among his peers in Division II, Tjeerdsma heads into the 2008 season fourth on the active wins list (203) and with the 10th-best win percentage (.724). His first win of the upcoming season will make him one of the top 10 winningest Division II coaches of all-time. He needs 16 wins to enter the top five. In his 24-year career, which includes 10 seasons at Austin College (Texas), Tjeerdsma is 203-76-4.

Tjeerdsma has more postseason victories than any other coach in Division II history. He’s led Northwest to the playoffs 10 times in the last 12 seasons and sports a 22-8 postseason record. He’s undefeated (5-0) in the semifinal round of the playoffs, 9-1 in opening games and 13-3 at home. Northwest made two first-round exits in its only appearances prior to Tjeerdsma’s arrival.

The Bearcats have won 10 playoff games in their three championship runs spanning the last three seasons. Northwest earned the moniker “Road Dogs” after becoming the first program to win four road games to get to the title game of 2005. The team won three home games to reach the 2006 final. Tjeerdsma beat the No. 4, No. 2 and No. 1 ranked teams to advance to Florence in 2007.

The 2007 Bearcats became the 12th team in program history to go unbeaten in MIAA play. Seven teams under Tjeerdsma have finished 9-0 in league play since 1997. Northwest enters 2008 with a 21-game winning streak against conference opponents. The team’s 17-game home win streak is the second-longest in Division II.

Following the 2007 season, running back Xavier Omon became the fourth player under Tjeerdsma to be drafted into the NFL. Omon was a sixth-round selection by the Buffalo Bills. Omon joins Chris Greisen (1999), Seth Wand (2003) and Dave Tollefson (2006) as Northwest players drafted after playing for Tjeerdsma. Fifteen Bearcats have either been drafted or have signed NFL contracts during Tjeerdsma’s tenure.

In addition to Omon, tight end Mike Peterson ‘07 signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers. Wand (Oakland Raiders), Tollefson (New York Giants) and Jamaica Rector ‘04 (Arizona Cardinals) make it five former Bearcats currently found on NFL rosters. Tollefson became the first Northwest graduate to earn a Super Bowl ring after helping the Giants defeat the New England Patriots in last February’s Super Bowl.

Tjeerdsma has been named MIAA Coach of the Year nine times (1995-2000, 2002, 2006-07). He’s been named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year six times (1996-2000, 2006)

In addition to his coaching duties, Tjeerdsma served as president of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 2006. It was the first time a Northwest coach has led the AFCA and the first time a Division II general has presided since 1999.

While Tjeerdsma has enjoyed tremendous success on the field, he has continued to surround himself with a group of young people who are assets to the University and the entire northwest Missouri community.

Every spring for the past 13 years, Tjeerdsma, his coaches and players take part in the team’s annual spring cleanup day. The service project and team fundraiser includes picking up trash, raking leaves, mowing lawns and cleaning up yards and streets throughout the community.

In his 14 years at Northwest, Tjeerdsma’s squads have produced 36 All-Americans. Included in the tally are 24 first-team All-Americans and 10 players who earned All-America honors in two or more seasons.

Under Tjeerdsma, Northwest has produced 93 All-MIAA student-athletes, including 59 players who earned first-team honors. Fifty-four players have earned all-region honors with 37 being listed on the first team.

Prior to coaching at Northwest, Tjeerdsma guided Austin College to three Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships (TIAA) and became the program’s all-time winningest coach. The Kangaroos were 59-38-4 in 10 seasons under Tjeerdsma and made two trips to the NAIA Division II playoffs. Tjeerdsma earned three TIAA Coach of the Year awards.

Before his time at Austin, Tjeerdsma was the offensive coordinator at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, for eight years. He also served as the head track and field coach at Northwestern. The Red Raiders earned four trips to the NAIA Division II playoffs and won a national championship in 1983 with Tjeerdsma on staff. His offense twice led the nation in total offense and scoring. His track and field teams won three Tri-State Conference titles and five consecutive NAIA District 15 Indoor Championships.

Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Tjeerdsma served as head football coach at Denison (Iowa) High School, where he guided his team to a 9-0 record and a 1975 state playoff berth.

He earned Northwest Iowa Coach of the Year honors in 1972 after winning a state championship at Sioux Center High School. He was the Northwest Iowa Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

Tjeerdsma also served as president of the NAIA Football Coaches Association in 1990. He is currently in his 10th year as a member of the AFCA Board of Trustees. He now serves as chairman of the AFCA Division II All-America Committee.

Tjeerdsma earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Southern (S.D.) State in 1967. He earned his master’s degree from Northwest in 1977.

Tjeerdsma and his wife, Carol, reside just outside of Maryville. Carol is a member of the Northwest faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and is a real estate agent for United Country Twaddle Realty. She also served as President of the American Football Coaches Wives Association in 2005.

Mel and Carol have three married daughters and seven grandchildren.