Former University of Wyoming football coach Dana Dimel died Tuesday, his family announced. He was 62.
Dimel coached the Cowboys from 1997-1999, and a cause of death was not given.
In a statement, UW Director of Athletics Tom Burman shared his condolences about Dimel’s death to his relatives and his wife, Julie.
“My heart breaks for his family and those close to Dana and Julie,” Burman said. “Dana had a passion for people. He truly was an amazing person and he will be missed.”
Beloved Personality
Ron Gullberg was the sports editor at the Casper Star-Tribune while Dimel was coaching at UW. Gullberg said Dimel had an innovative football mind that sometimes paid off and sometimes didn’t, but he was always learning from his mistakes.
One of the things he liked best about Dimel was his sense of transparency with the media.
“He thought it was important for the media to be informed,” he said. “I admired the guy as a media person and as a fan.”
Former Casper Star-Tribune writer and UW super fan Sally Ann Shurmur said Dimel carried a “larger-than-life” persona in Laramie that extended well past the football field.
“He was a memorable character and a lot of fun to be around,” she said. “He has this larger-than-life presence, this big, barrel chested, boisterous guy.”
UW was Dimel’s first head coaching gig and he had big shoes to fill, coming in on the heels of former head coach Joe Tiller’s legendary 1996 season. That was the program’s 100th, and the Cowboys finished 10-2 and ranked No. 22 in the nation.
Dimel was also the youngest Division 1 head coach in the country when he was hired at the age of 34.
“He really seemed to lean into that to connect with the players and fans,” Gullberg said. “Those were some good years.”
Gullberg went to watch Dimel’s last game as an assistant coach at Kansas State University during the 1996 season to learn more about him. Many of the K-State fans expressed admiration for Dimel and told Gullberg they’d be cheering for him at Wyoming.
After the game, Dimel emerged from the locker room in a sports coat and tie and smiled at Gullberg, telling him, “Let’s talk Wyoming football,” Gullberg remembered.
Gullberg was only two years younger than Dimel when he was hired.
“That hits when someone you came up with at a young age dies,” he said.
Keeps Winning
Dimel continued the tradition of success at Wyoming, leading the Cowboys to winning seasons in all three years with the program and an overall record of 22-13.
There were far fewer bowl games in that era of college football than there are today and Dimel never got the chance to coach the ’Pokes in a bowl game.
His best season came in 1998 when he coached the Cowboys to an 8-3 record and a second-place finish in the Mountain Division of the Western Athletic Conference.
During his time as coach, the Cowboys got big wins against programs like Iowa State, Utah and BYU.
Where he struggled was the big rivalry games, only beating Colorado State and Air Force once each during his tenure.
“Unfortunately, circumstances in the coin flip of life didn’t always work in his favor,” Gullberg said.
Legacy
Shurmur and Gullberg said what made Dimel most memorable was his personality. He was a straight-shooter who deeply connected with the residents of Laramie.
“He really loved life and loved the people of Laramie,” Shurmur said. “He was unpretentious and really took to the people of Laramie.”
Dimel married his wife of 25 years Julie Dimel at the 50-yard-line of War Memorial Stadium. He was also known for frequenting the Buckhorn Bar in Laramie — perhaps a little too often, she said.
After Wyoming, Dimel had coaching stints at the University of Houston, his alma mater Kansas State and UTEP. By extension, Shurmur said she became a bit of a fan of these teams in addition to the Cowboys.
“It was fun to follow him where he went next,” Shurmur said.
Dimel spent this season as a senior offensive assistant at Illinois, helping the Illini go 9-3 and earn a No. 23 ranking in the Associated Press poll.
"His influence on our program was incredible to witness and be a part of," Illinois coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "His infectious positive energy had a major impact on me, our players and everyone in our building every day. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family."
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
