Mel Tjeerdsma
Encyclopedia
Mel Tjeerdsma is a retired American football
coach. He served as the head coach at Austin College
in Sherman, Texas
from 1984 to 1993 and at Northwest Missouri State University
in Maryville, Missouri
from 1994 until his retirement after the 2010 season. In his 27 years as a head coach, Tjeerdsma compiled a career college football
record of 242–82–4. He led the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats to three NCAA Division II National Football Championship
s (1998, 1999, and 2009) and four additional NCAA Division II titles games (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).
. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1964 and attended Southern State College in Springfield where he participated in several sports. Tjeerdsma earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from the college in 1967. He received his master's degree in physical education at Northwestern College
in 1977.
, where he guided his team to a 9–0 record in 1975 and a berth in the state playoffs. He earned Northwest Iowa Football Coach of the Year honors in 1972 and was the Northwest Iowa Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Tjeerdsma was the offensive coordinator at Northwestern College
in Orange City, Iowa
for eight years. He was also the head track and field coach at Northwestern. The Red Raiders earned four trips to the NAIA Division II Playoffs while Tjeerdsma was there, including a national championship in 1983. 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.
Tjeerdsma was the head coach at Austin College
in Sherman, Texas
from 1984 through 1993. He compiled a 59–39–4 record and was the school's winningest coach. Tjeerdsma guided Austin College to three Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
championships in 1984, 1985 and 1988 and made two trips to the NAIA Division II playoffs
.
had announced plans to close the school. The state had also balked at converting U.S. Route 71
to Maryville to a four-lane highway, even as it had converted the rest of the highway south of Saint Joseph, Missouri
to interstate standards.
The Bearcats went 0–11 in Tjeerdsma's first year in 1994, finishing last in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association
. In 1996, they made the playoffs for the first time since 1984. In 1998, the Bearcats won the NCAA Division II National Football Championship
compiling a record of 15–0. It also marked the first time the Bearcats won a national championship in any sport.
In 1999, Northwest defeated Carson–Newman, 58–52, in four overtimes to defend the title. The game was the longest in terms of the number of extra periods in NCAA football playoff history, surpassing six contests that were extended by three overtimes. The broadcast analyst on ESPN
called it the most exciting game in history. The game solidified ESPN interest in Division II football prompting ESPN coverage to now even include the semi-final games.
In 2005, the Bearcats were a Cinderella team being ranked 22nd at the start of the playoffs, but won four games on the road until reaching the finals where they faced Grand Valley State. Oddly enough, the title game was the first time in the 2005 playoffs that the Bearcats played on the same field for a second time. They beat North Alabama
in Florence
the week before. Northwest Missouri State led the game until the closing minutes and came within a dropped pass in the end zone in the closing seconds from a victory.
The championships have rocketed Northwest into high visibility. The St. Louis Rams
donated their private jet to the team to fly the Bearcats to the championship game in Florence, Alabama
. When Tjeerdsma began his run, Northwest could not play some home playoff games to which it was entitled because of poor conditions at Rickenbrode Stadium. The stadium underwent a $5 million renovation including the additions of luxury boxes and a color replay video board. The renovated Rickenbrode Stadium opened in 2002. The stadium was renamed Bearcat Stadium
in 2004 to honor the contributions of the many individuals and organizations who worked in the fundraising efforts. On August 23, 2007, the field at Bearcat Stadium was named Mel Tjeerdsma Field in the coach's honor.
In 2006, Tjeerdsma was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association
.
in the 2011 IFAF World Cup
.
In June 2011 he announced that he would join the development team in the Austin College Institutional Advancement Division in the fall of 2011, leading fundraising efforts for athletics enhancement.
. They have three grown children.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. He served as the head coach at Austin College
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
in Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
from 1984 to 1993 and at Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus, based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, is the official Missouri State Arboretum....
in Maryville, Missouri
Maryville, Missouri
Maryville is a city in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,581 at the 2000 census. The town, organized on February 14, 1845, was named for Mrs. Mary Graham, wife of Amos Graham, then the county clerk. Mary was the first Caucasian woman to have lived within the boundaries...
from 1994 until his retirement after the 2010 season. In his 27 years as a head coach, Tjeerdsma compiled a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 242–82–4. He led the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats to three NCAA Division II National Football Championship
NCAA Division II national football championship
The NCAA Division II National Football Championship began in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the NCAA College Division and a poll determined the final champion....
s (1998, 1999, and 2009) and four additional NCAA Division II titles games (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).
Early life and education
Tjeerdsma was born and grew up on a farm in Springfield, South DakotaSpringfield, South Dakota
Springfield is a city in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1092 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springfield is located at ....
. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1964 and attended Southern State College in Springfield where he participated in several sports. Tjeerdsma earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from the college in 1967. He received his master's degree in physical education at Northwestern College
Northwestern College (Iowa)
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa. It is also known as Northwestern IA. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America . Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928...
in 1977.
Coaching career
Tjeerdsma coached at Sioux Center (Iowa) High School and in 1972 won the very first Class 2A State football championship. He went on to Denison High School in Denison, IowaDenison, Iowa
Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River. The population was 7,339 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.-Geography:Denison is located at ....
, where he guided his team to a 9–0 record in 1975 and a berth in the state playoffs. He earned Northwest Iowa Football Coach of the Year honors in 1972 and was the Northwest Iowa Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Tjeerdsma was the offensive coordinator at Northwestern College
Northwestern College (Iowa)
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa. It is also known as Northwestern IA. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America . Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928...
in Orange City, Iowa
Orange City, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,582 people, 1,719 households, and 1,285 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,808.5 people per square mile . There were 1,805 housing units at an average density of 584.8 per square mile...
for eight years. He was also the head track and field coach at Northwestern. The Red Raiders earned four trips to the NAIA Division II Playoffs while Tjeerdsma was there, including a national championship in 1983. 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.
Tjeerdsma was the head coach at Austin College
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
in Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
from 1984 through 1993. He compiled a 59–39–4 record and was the school's winningest coach. Tjeerdsma guided Austin College to three Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association was an NCAA-affiliated Division III college athletic association for schools in Texas from 1976 to 1996....
championships in 1984, 1985 and 1988 and made two trips to the NAIA Division II playoffs
NAIA national football championship
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Football National Championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the championship game has...
.
Northwest Missouri State
Before Tjeerdsma's arrival in 1994, Northwest Missouri State University experienced a series of problems. Missouri under Governor John AshcroftJohn Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
had announced plans to close the school. The state had also balked at converting U.S. Route 71
U.S. Route 71
U.S. Route 71 is a north–south United States highway. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstate highways. Currently, the highway's northern terminus is in International Falls, Minnesota at the Canadian border, at the southern end of the Fort...
to Maryville to a four-lane highway, even as it had converted the rest of the highway south of Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
to interstate standards.
The Bearcats went 0–11 in Tjeerdsma's first year in 1994, finishing last in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is a college athletic conference which operates in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and effective in 2012 in Oklahoma in the Midwestern United States. The conference was formerly known as the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic...
. In 1996, they made the playoffs for the first time since 1984. In 1998, the Bearcats won the NCAA Division II National Football Championship
NCAA Division II national football championship
The NCAA Division II National Football Championship began in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the NCAA College Division and a poll determined the final champion....
compiling a record of 15–0. It also marked the first time the Bearcats won a national championship in any sport.
In 1999, Northwest defeated Carson–Newman, 58–52, in four overtimes to defend the title. The game was the longest in terms of the number of extra periods in NCAA football playoff history, surpassing six contests that were extended by three overtimes. The broadcast analyst on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
called it the most exciting game in history. The game solidified ESPN interest in Division II football prompting ESPN coverage to now even include the semi-final games.
In 2005, the Bearcats were a Cinderella team being ranked 22nd at the start of the playoffs, but won four games on the road until reaching the finals where they faced Grand Valley State. Oddly enough, the title game was the first time in the 2005 playoffs that the Bearcats played on the same field for a second time. They beat North Alabama
North Alabama Lions football
The North Alabama Lions football team represents the University of North Alabama in the NCAA Division II competing as a member of the East Division of the Gulf South Conference . UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama...
in Florence
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
the week before. Northwest Missouri State led the game until the closing minutes and came within a dropped pass in the end zone in the closing seconds from a victory.
The championships have rocketed Northwest into high visibility. The St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
donated their private jet to the team to fly the Bearcats to the championship game in Florence, Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
. When Tjeerdsma began his run, Northwest could not play some home playoff games to which it was entitled because of poor conditions at Rickenbrode Stadium. The stadium underwent a $5 million renovation including the additions of luxury boxes and a color replay video board. The renovated Rickenbrode Stadium opened in 2002. The stadium was renamed Bearcat Stadium
Bearcat Stadium
Bearcat Stadium is the football stadium of the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats in Maryville, Missouri and is the oldest continuous site for any NCAA Division II school....
in 2004 to honor the contributions of the many individuals and organizations who worked in the fundraising efforts. On August 23, 2007, the field at Bearcat Stadium was named Mel Tjeerdsma Field in the coach's honor.
In 2006, Tjeerdsma was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
.
Post retirement
In 2011 he was named head coach of the United States national American football teamUnited States national american football team
The United States national American football team represents the United States in international American football competitions. It is the country's official senior national men's football team. It is controlled by USA Football and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football...
in the 2011 IFAF World Cup
2011 IFAF World Cup
The 2011 IFAF World Championship was the fourth instance of the IFAF World Championship of American Football, an international American football tournament. It began on July 8, 2011 with the final games commencing on July 16. It was hosted by Austria, with games taking place in three cities:...
.
In June 2011 he announced that he would join the development team in the Austin College Institutional Advancement Division in the fall of 2011, leading fundraising efforts for athletics enhancement.
Family
Tjeerdsma, his wife Carol reside in Maryville, MissouriMaryville, Missouri
Maryville is a city in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,581 at the 2000 census. The town, organized on February 14, 1845, was named for Mrs. Mary Graham, wife of Amos Graham, then the county clerk. Mary was the first Caucasian woman to have lived within the boundaries...
. They have three grown children.
Head coaching record
See also
- List of college football coaches with 200 wins
- List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association