football coaching staff
Head Coach - Mike Van Diest
During his eight year tenure as head football coach at Carroll College, Mike Van Diest has lead the Fighting Saints to four straight National Championships, which has been one of the most dominating runs in college football history. The Saints have posted 89-18 record during the past eight seasons. This includes a 56-10 Frontier Conference record for an impressive 85%. The Fighting Saints have earned seven consecutive Frontier Conference Championships.
In 2006 the Saints won the Frontier Conference Title with a 9-1 record. They returned to the NAIA Playoffs where they beat MSU-Northern 20-7. The next week in the quarterfinals they lost to St. Xavier 14-7.
In 2005, the Saints won their fourth consecutive National Championship with a convincing 27-10 victory over St. Francis University (Ind.) this was the second time under Van Diest that Carroll had a perfect record (14-0) in claiming the Title. In 2004 the Fighting Saints were the NAIA national champions for the third year in a row with a slim 15-13 victory again over St. Francis University (Ind.) in Savannah Tennessee.
In 2003, the Saints were national champions with their first perfect season at 15-0, by defeating Northwestern Oklahoma State 41-28.
In 2002, the Saints won their first national championship with a 28-7 victory over Georgetown, KY. Van Diest and his staff have led Carroll College to a 20-2 record in the NAIA national playoffs.
In 2000 and 2001, the Saints finished with the number 3 national ranking. During this time the Saints defense has been ranked 11th in 2000, 4th in 2001, 6th in 2002, 5th in 2003, and 3rd in 2004 and number 1 2005 and 2006. In 2006 the Saints defense gave up an average of 5.8 points per contest. While at Carroll, Van Diest has coached 20 All-Conference linebackers with four being named first team All-American, Joe Horne (2001), Cory Perzinski (2002), Marcus Atkinson (2003), and Gary Cooper (2004, 2005), Seamus Molloy (2006). Horne, Atkinson, and Cooper were all named Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year. During his tenure as head Coach of the Fighting Saints, Van Diest has been named Frontier Conference Coach of the Year six times. In 2003 and 2005 Van Diest was named NAIA National Coach of the Year by the American Football Association as well as the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year in 2003.
Van Diest is a 1970 graduate of Helena High School. His career has included stops at his alma mater, the University of Wyoming, the University of Montana, the University of Massachusetts, and Big Ten representative, Northwestern University as an assistant coach. Van Diest has won titles at Montana (Big Sky Conference Champions, 1982), Wyoming (Two Western Athletic Conference Championships and one Pacific Division Championship, 1986) and now seven Frontier Conference Championships at Carroll, as well as the 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 NAIA National Championships. He and his wife Heidi have two sons, Shane and Clay. Shane is a football player at Carroll College.
Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach - Nick Howlett
Nick enters his ninth year at Carroll College. This will be his eighth directing the Saints offense. In 2004 Howlett was named the NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year.
Under Howlett's guidance Saints quarterbacks have been the Frontier Conference Players of the Year four times, JD Emmert in 2000 and Tyler Emmert in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Tyler was 1st Team All-Conference in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. In addition, Tyler has been 1st Team All-American the last three years as well as being named the NAIA National Player of the Year in 2003 and 2005.
Howlett is a former Western Montana College standout and three-time Frontier All-Conference running back. Howlett was an assistant at his alma mater for three years before coming to Carroll. Howlett was ninth in the nation receiving his senior season at Western. He earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Western Montana College. Nick resides in Helena with his wife Sandy.
Offensive Line and Strength Coach - Jim Hogan
Jim begins his ninth season at Carroll College and his eighth as the offensive line coach Hogan has coached six 1st Team All-Conference players over the past five seasons. This past year Scott Holbrook was named to the 1st Team, and Bryan Camino and Bryson Pelc were named to the 2nd Team. Hogan also oversees the Saints strength and conditioning program and was named Samson's National Strength Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season.
Before coming to Carroll, Hogan was the head coach for football, wrestling, and track at Billings Central High School. His 1999 track team won the Class A State Championship. In addition to his eight years of coaching in Billlings, Hogan's career has included stops in Gillette, WY and as an assistant coach for Western Montana College. Hogan is originally from Lacey, WA and graduated from the University of Montana in 1981 where he played for Coach Van Diest in 1980. He and his wife Barb have four children Anthony, Adam, James and Brittany
jhogan -is-at- carroll -dot- edu
Tight End Coach - Mark Lenhardt
Mark enters his fourth season at Carroll College. Last year Mark developed Marshall McEwen into one of the best young tight ends in the country. McEwen has been named All-Conference two years in a row. In addition Lenhardt will help Jim Hogan with the offensive line. Mark is a graduate of Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. Mark played tight end at Mesa State and also coached at his alma mater for two years. He is a native of Cheyenne Wyoming.
Defensive Backs Coach-Jarrod Wirt
This will be Jarrod's ninth season with the Fighting Saints Football program. He was a standout defensive back here from 1999-2003. Jarrod started 27 games during his final two years at Carroll College. While at Carroll as a player the Saints won four Frontier Conference Championships and two NAIA National Championships. The past three years Jarrod has coached on the defensive side of the football and the Saints have won three more Frontier Conference Championships and two National Championships. This past season under Jarrod's direction as the Saints secondary coach, Nick Milodragovich and Matt Thomas received All-Conference honors. Jarrod is a native of Havre, MT. where he was All-State for the Blue Ponies. Jarrod graduated from Carroll in 2004.
Linebackers Coach - Gary Cooper
This will be Gary's second year as a coach on the Saints staff. Gary was a two-time All-American and Defensive Player of the Year. He played on all four National Championship Teams and was a three year starter. Cooper finished as the number two tackler in Saints history. He graduated from Carroll with a degree in Sports Management. Gary is from Helena and played at Capital H.S.
Running Backs Coach - Jed Thomas
After a great career here at Carroll College, Jed will begin his first season as the Fighting Saints running back coach. Jed finished with over 4,500 yards of total offense in his career and was a major player in all four of Carroll's National Championships. He was named All-Conference in 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2006 he was one of the teams Co-Captains. Jed graduated with a degree in Sports Management from Carroll. Jed is from Heyburn, ID and played at Burley High School.
Assistant Offensive Line Coach Nick Hammond
Nick will begin his second year coaching with the Fighting Saints after an outstanding career at Carroll College. In 2005, Nick was named 1st Team All-American as an Offensive Lineman under Coach Jim Hogan. Nick played on all four National Championship teams and was a three year starter. Last fall Hammond helped Coach Hogan with the offensive line and will move over to coach the D-Line this season. Nick graduated from Carroll College with a degree in psychology. Nick is from Missoula and attended Big Sky High School.
Wide Receiver Coach - Tyler Emmert
Tyler's returns to Carroll and enters his first season as a member of the coaching staff. After a brilliant career at Carroll which saw Tyler lead the Fighting Saints to 4 straight NAIA Championships which included three All-American selections and two National Player of the Year Awards, he will coach the WR's this fall. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. Tyler is a Helena native who attended Capital H.S.. Tyler and his wife Amy are the proud parents of their daughter Catherine.
Secondary Coach - Tim LeRoy
Tim's will begin his first year on the coaching staff at Carroll. For the past three years Tim has been the head football coach at Sheridan, Wyoming. Tim brings a wealth of college experience with him, with stops at the University of Houston and Weber State. Tim is a graduate from Seattle University with a degree in finance. Tim went on as a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska where he earned his Master's Degree in Education Administration. Tim and his wife Dana have one son, Timmy.