This weekend’s game vs. Montana is also the annual Hall of Fame weekend. This year there are two people/groups being inducted that have UND football ties. Former Head Coach Roger Thomas and the 1965 Football Team are the 2014 honorees.
Per the UNDsports.com press release:
Roger Thomas (Football Coach, 1986-98; Athletics Director, 1999-2005): Amassed a 90-43-2 (.674) record as head football coach and guided UND to five NCAA DII postseason appearances (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998) … Won three straight NCC championships from 1993 to 1995 … Four-time regional coach of the year and three-time NCC Coach of the Year … Oversaw the opening of the Ralph Engelstad Arena, Betty Engelstad Sioux Center and Alerus Center, as well as NCAA titles in men’s hockey (1999-2000) and football (2001) during his tenure as athletics director … Later served as NCC Commissioner from 2005-08 … Currently serves as athletics director at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.
1965 Football Team: Went 9-1 overall and became the first team in program history to compete in a bowl game … Defeated Northern Illinois 37-20 in the Mineral Water Bowl … Outscored opponents 248-85 on the season, an average score of 28-9 … Offensive tackle Dave “Butch” Lince was named first-team All-America by the Associated Press and quarterback Corey Colehour was named honorable mention. Six players went on to sign professional contracts or have professional tryouts. Eight players were named to UND’s All-Century Team in 1994. Five players, plus head coach Marv “Whitey” Helling are UND Hall of Fame individual inductees.
I personally was one of many who were lucky enough to play for “RT” back in the late 90’s and have the utmost respect for him as a coach and a man. Just a great guy who was the classic head coach type. Stood off to the side or at midfield and let his coordinator’s run the show. If he didn’t like how things were going he would blow his whistle, stop practice and read everybody the riot act, then fire it back up again. It didn’t happen often but when it did, it worked. Thomas just knew how to deal with and communicate with all players in effective, tactful ways.
We won a lot of games under Thomas but the great thing about playing for him was he made it fun. He would make sure to keep things light when appropriate, as to not wear anybody out with constant harping and intensity. Thomas was also the coach who turned around the UND program in the late 80’s after taking over from Pat Behrns and should also be commended for hiring assistant coaches such as Dale Lennon, Bubba Schweigert, Rob Bollinger, Tom Dosch, and Jeff Tesch. Four of them have went on to be head coaches at the FCS and D2 level. The only one who didn’t certainly had the makeup to do it, but chose to go the fundraising/administrative route and has done pretty dang well for himself. It should also be noted that Thomas was the head coach that signed the class of 1997 that won the national championship as seniors, along with assistant coaches Lennon, Schweigert and Dosch.