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.
Northwest Sports Information