Dorrellegacyreliesonrecruitingsuccess

BrandonZenner
EditorinChief
@brandonzenner

InDecemberof2010,AdamDorrelwasnot
expectedtohavehisownofficeastheheadfootball
coachatNorthwestMissouriState.Thatveryoffice
belongedtocurrentAthleticsDirectorMelTjeerdsmafor
17yearsandlateheadcoachScottBostwickfornearly
sixmonths.
Fourseasons,46wins,twoMIAAtitlesandone
NationalChampionshiplater,themonthscontinueto
sneakuponwhatmaybeDorrelsmostcrucialseasonas
headfootballcoachoftheBearcats.Themajorityofthe
biggestcontributorstotheDivisionIIpowerhouse,
productsofTjeerdsmaandBostwick,arenowontolife
aftercollegefootballandthepressurewillbeontoDorrel
tocapitalizewiththerecruitshehasbroughttoMaryville
himself.
ToputthesuccessofNorthwestunderTjeerdsma
inperspective,hewitnessed16lossesinhisfirsttwo
seasonshewentontodoubledigitwinseasonsin13
ofthenext15seasonsalongwithsevennationaltitle
appearancesandwasavictimtoonly46defeatsinhis
17seasonsasheadcoach.Tjeerdsmaalsoproduced
morethan40AllAmericans.
WhileBostwicknevergottheopportunitytostand
onthesidelineasheadcoachoftheBearcats,hespent
sixmonthsfinalizingtheworkTjeerdsmadidonthe
recruitingtrailtobringinimpactplayerssuchas
defensivelinemanBrandonYostandquarterbackBrady
Bolles.
WhenDorrelwasannouncedheadcoachinJune
of2011,hesaidIlookforwardtobuildingonaproud
traditionandfullyembracingthetremendous
responsibilitythatcomeswithleadingthisprogram.That
responsibilityhasneverbeenashigh.
Withminimalplayersremainingfromthe
TjeerdsmaBostwickera,thisteamandprogramhas
finallybeenturnedovertoDorrel.Thedaysofthebeing
ledbyD.J.Gnader,EricReimer,MattLongacreand

companyareoverandtheeyeswillbeontheplayersthat
Dorrelhasproducedandbroughttothisschoolonhis
lonesome.
Dorrelcomesfromanoffensivebackground,
havingbeenanAllAmericanoffensivelinemanunder
CoactTfrom94until97.DorrelreturnedtoNorthwestto
becomeoffensivecoordinatorandproduced14
AllAmericansinhissevenseasons.
In2014,theBearcatssawinjuriesontheoffensive
sideoftheballattimesandwereranked101of167
schoolsinpassingoffenseat207yardspergameand
82ndinpassingefficiency.
Withoffensivesidesthatwererankedinthetop
10withDorrelatcoordinator,theBearcatsoffense
ranked50intotaloffenselastseason.Withamatured
BollesreturningalongsidetherunningtandemofPhil
JacksonIIandCameronWilcox,includingwideouts
GeorgeSehlandQuanzeeJohnson(bothwhoshowed
sparkswhentheirnumberwascalled),Dorrelshouldbe
abletobuildaroundthetop20rushattackfrom2014.
Itisthedefensivesideoftheballthatmayhurtthe
Bearcats,whichshiesawayfromthetrendNorthwesthas
witnessedthepastfiveyears.FourBearcatsonthe
defensivesidethathaveachanceintheNFLgraduated
linebackersGnader,Reimer,defensiveendLongacre
anddefensivebackTravisManning.TheBearcatsposted
thetopdefensivesideinthecountry,allowingjust213
yardspergame,anchoredbyafrontseventhathelped
Northwesttothesecondrankedrushingdefense.
DefensivebacksMarcusJonesandBryceEnyardwill
continuetheirlevelofplay,alongwithlinemenCollin
BevinsandBrandonYosttocontinuethewinning
traditionatNorthwest.
WithmuchofthegreattalenttheBearcatshave
producedinthelastfiveyearsgone,itisnowonDorrel
andhisrecruitstogetNorthwesttoan11thconsecutive
playoff.