Dale Carlson has a knack for turning football programs around.
So it's no surprise he'll be a vital asset to the North Park coaching staff in the 2014 season.
Carlson joins Head Coach Mike Conway and the Vikings as one of the new members of the staff this season where he will serve as the Assistant Head Football Coach after four years at the NCAA Division I-FCS level.
A native of Chicago, Carlson comes from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana where he was the 16th head football coach in Crusader history, and was responsible in changing the recruiting culture from regional to national. Prior to Valpo, Carlson coached at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus where he built the football program from scratch and led the Panthers to an undefeated regular season and a Mid-States Football Association-Mideast League Championship during the 2007 campaign. Under his tutelage, the ODU offense led all of college football averaging more than 50 points per game while leading the NAIA with over 550 yards of total offense. In addition, Carlson produced five All-Americans, seven Academic All-Americans, and more than 90 All-Conference players in his six years. In 2009 he was named the NAIA Independent Coach of the Year while earning MSFA-Mideast League Coach of the Year honors in 2007 as well as the American Football Coaches Association Region II and American Football Monthly/Schutt Sports NAIA National Coach of the Year honor.
As the head coach at Trine University in Angola, Indiana, where he spent eight seasons, Carlson was responsible for beginning the intercollegiate football program in 1995 and led the team to 11 victories in 1998 plus an NAIA semifinals appearance and a No. 3 national ranking that same season. He also led Trine to the Mideast Conference title in 2001 and was named the conference Coach of the Year.
Carlson's coaching experience is vast. Prior to ODU and Trine, he also spent four seasons as the head coach at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana and three seasons at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He began his collegiate coaching career as the offensive line coach at neighboring College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin school Elmhurst College and served as the offensive line coach at Franklin College and Grand Valley State University.
As a student-athlete and linebacker for Concordia University Chicago, Carlson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education, and later a Master's of Science degree in Education at Chicago State University. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and served as the president of the NAIA Football Coaches Association in 2001 and 2002.
