GRAND FORKS, N.D. ? The UND Alumni Association and Foundation will hold a public reception for Dale Lennon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. today in the traditions area of the lobby at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Lennon, the winningest head coach in the history of the University of North Dakota football program, has accepted the head football coaching position at Southern Illinois University.
Southern Illinois University, located in Carbondale, Ill., introduced Lennon as its new head coach at a news conference on Friday. Lennon is taking over the head coaching duties for a team that was 12-2 this past season and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).
UND co-acting athletic directors Betty Ralston and Steve Brekke said Friday that an internal search for Lennon's replacement has begun. An internal candidate cannot be hired earlier than the close of business next Friday (Jan. 4).
“We thank Dale for his many years of dedication to UND athletics,” Ralston said. “Dale was not only a successful coach, he was a great ambassador for the University of North Dakota. We think it's a natural to give our current staff the opportunity to sustain UND's highly competitive program as we transition to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.”
At Southern Illinois, Lennon will replace former Salukis head coach Jerry Kill, who accepted the head football coaching position at NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision school (FBS) Northern Illinois on Dec. 13 after leading Southern Illinois to three Gateway Conference titles (2003, 2004, 2005) and five consecutive NCAA playoff appearances in his five years at Southern Illinois.
UND highlights include 2001 national title, seven NCAA Division II playoff appearances
Lennon leaves UND with an all-time career record of 90-24 (.789) in nine seasons as head coach. His .789 career winning percentage is the best in the 113-year history of the UND football program. His 90 career wins at UND ties him with former Fighting Sioux head coach Roger Thomas for most in school history.
Lennon led UND to the NCAA Division II national football championship in 2001 ? the only football national title in school history ? in addition to five North Central Conference titles and seven NCAA Division II playoff appearances. Lennon posted a 14-6 playoff record (.700) in nine seasons, including a 10-0 record in home playoff games.
In 2001, he was named the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coach of the Year, a first in UND program history. Lennon was also the NCAA Coach of the Year in 2001, and while at UND, he also earned three NCC coach of the year honors.
Success in the classroom and community
Lennon's UND teams matched their on-field success with success in the classroom. An NCC-best eight players were named academic all-conference honors this past season, and UND players earned 64 NCC all-academic honors in Lennon's nine years as head coach. UND players have also earned 12 academic All-American honors under Lennon.
Lennon and his student-athletes have also been active in the community, lending their time to numerous charitable functions, including Holiday Magic for Markus, Special Olympics, Upward Bound, Camp Sioux, Make-A-Wish Foundation, United Tribes High School Awareness Program and the Northwood, N.D., tornado recovery effort.
Eighteen-year UND coaching career, four-year Fighting Sioux playing career
An assistant coach at UND for nine seasons (1988-1996), including a seven-year stint as defensive coordinator (1990-1996), Lennon became the 24th head coach in UND football history when he was hired on March 29, 1999.
It did not take Lennon long to continue UND's winning tradition. In his first season (1999) as head coach, the Sioux finished 9-2, won a share of the NCC title and advanced to the first round of the NCAA playoffs. In 2000 Lennon and the Sioux went 8-3 and narrowly missed out on another NCAA berth.
The 2001 season proved to be a watershed year for the UND football program. Lennon guided the team into a new era that year as the Sioux began play in the 12,283-seat Alerus Center, an indoor facility that has become one of the most exciting places to play in all of Division II football. The new home helped propel the Sioux on a memorable postseason run that culminated with the first national championship in program history, a 17-14 win over Grand Valley State.
In 2003 Lennon led the Fighting Sioux to a 12-2 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II championship game for the second time in three years. The Sioux finished a perfect 7-0 in NCC play and captured the program's 22nd conference title (15th outright). Lennon capped the 2003 season by being named NCC Coach of the Year, Minnesota Vikings College Coach of the Year and the D2Football.com Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
In 2004 the Fighting Sioux went 11-3 and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinal round. In 2005, Lennon guided the Sioux to a 10-3 record, their fourth NCC crown during his tenure and another NCAA postseason berth.
In 2006 Lennon guided UND to an 11-2 overall record, an NCC title and a fourth consecutive berth in the NCAA postseason. Among UND's most thrilling victories in 2006 was a stunning 35-31 road victory over Division I-AA power Northern Iowa.
The 2007 season saw Lennon lead the Fighting Sioux to a 10-2 overall record, including a 7-1 NCC mark, and a fifth consecutive berth in the NCAA Division II postseason.
Prior to becoming head coach at UND, Lennon posted a 12-9 record in two seasons (1997 and 1998) at the University of Mary (Bismarck, N.D.), where he led the Marauders to a league title and NAIA playoff appearance in 1998.
A native of Knox, N.D., Lennon graduated from Rugby High School before starting his athletic career at UND. A former running back for the Sioux, Lennon served as team captain in 1983 and was named the team's most valuable offensive back. A three-year letterwinner, Lennon earned All-NCC honorable mention honors as a senior.
After graduating from UND in 1985, Lennon earned his master's degree from Northern State (S.D.) in 1986 while serving as a graduate assistant coach. He also spent seasons at Valley City State (1986) and Dickinson State (1987) before returning to UND for the 1988 season as a defensive line coach.
He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1990 and began transforming the Sioux defense into one of the top squads in the league and the nation. Under Lennon's watch as defensive coordinator, UND led the NCC in scoring defense four times and total defense twice. The Sioux also appeared in the NCAA playoffs four straight years during that time.
