Tom Sawyer  Head Coach/Offensive Coodinator/Running Backs

10th year as head coach

Daughter: Jessica

Son: Tommy

Education: 1983 Bachelor of Science & 1989 Master of Science at WSU

Position held Winona State: 7th year Assistant Professor

Previous Coaching Positions: Head football, Head girls basketball and Head baseball at Cochrane-Fountain City, WI High School ... Graduate Barron, WI High School '78

Other facts: Won six conference championships... Team played in University's first ever NCAA Division II playoff game 2001, followed up with 2003 and 2004 appearances and won first ever NCAA II playoff game and advanced to quarterfinal round in 2003 ... Won 2000 Mineral Water Bowl ... NSIC Coach of the Year 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2004 ... 7 years assistant football coach at WSU, 1987-89, and 1991-94, won two conference championships ... Played collegiate football two years and baseball four years at Winona State, won 2 regional and 6 conference basketball titles and 1 regional and 4 conference baseball titles ... All-State and All-Conference in baseball and football.

Bryan Hiller  Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Offensive line

8th year

Education: 1996 Bachelor of Science UW-Oshkosh and M.E.D. 1998 Minnesota... Graduated Homestead High School, Mequon, WI

'87

Previous coaching positions: Graduate Assistant Minnesota '96-'98

Other facts: Played collegiate football at UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh ... All-Ozaukee County '86.

Brian Curtin Defensive Coordinator/ Defensive Backs

9th year

Wife: Sarah

Daughter: Caitlin

Education: Bachelor of Science 1999 WSU

Other facts: Played collegiate football at Winona State and Moriane Valley Community College ... Played on '93 and '94 NSIC conference championship teams ... Graduate Midlothian, IL '90 ... Football and Baseball All-Conference.

Larry Holstad Wide Receivers

8th year

Wife: Serena

Daughters: Stacy, Sarah, Natalie

Education: Bachelor of Science 1967 WSU, Master of Science 1981 Mankato State

Previous coaching positions: Forest City, IA High School football, baseball ... Ventura, IA High School. football, baseball, softball, girls' track ... Won five conference football championships, two conference baseball titles ... Iowa District Football Coach of the Year '75, '76, '81, '82

Other facts: 7th year WSU Athletic Director ... Played collegiate football at WSU and Mason City JC ... Played on WSU's '64 NIC championship team ... Graduated Northwood-Kensett, IA H. S. '62 ... All-State football & basketball, state track place winner.

Roland Christensen Linebackers

5th year

Wife: Laura

Sons: Steve, Andy, and David

Education: E.D.D. Oklahoma State 1968; B.S. University of Norhtern Iowa 1950... Graduated Burt, Iowa High School 1945.

Previous Coaching Positions: 38 years at UW-La Crosse, 31 years as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach; 6 games in 2000 as defensive coordinator of the La Crosse River Rats in the Indoor Football League.

Other facts: While at La Crosse team won 3 NCAA Division III national championships and 15 conference campionships... Named national assistant coach of the year for Division III... Member of the UW-La Crosse Athletic Wall of Fame... Member of Wisconsin High School Football Coaches' Hall of Fame.

Matt Entz Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line

4th year

Wife: Brenda

Sons: Kellen and Konner

Education: 1995 Bachelor of Arts Wartburg College, IA and Master of Arts 1998 Wayne State, NE

Previous coaching positions: Wartburg College, IA 1995, Wayne State, NE 1996-97 and 1999-2001, Illinois College 1998

Other facts: Played collegiate football at Wartburg ... NSCA All-American '94; '94 Outstanding Football Student-Athlete; Played on Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship team '93; Participated in NCAA III playoffs in '93 and '94 ... Graduated West Waterloo, IA H. S. '91 ... Honorable mention All-State; Two-Time All-Metro; Two-Time All-Conference, Member of Big 8 Conference championship team and participant in 4A state playoffs.

Dave Watson - Wide Receivers

2nd year

Wife: Cheryl

Son: Dan

Daughters: Sarah, Rachel

Education: 1981 Bachelor of Science Winona State University

Previous coaching positions: Assistant Coach Winona State 1982, Assistant High School Coach five years

Other facts: Played carsity football at Winona State, Honorable Mention/ All-Conference '80, Graduate LaMoille, IL High School '77, Two-Time All-Conference.

Jon Kyte Graduate Assistant/Linebackers

2nd year

Education: B.S. Wartburg '04

Previous Coaching Positions: Student Assistant for running backs for a year and for linebackers a year at Wartburg,

Other Facts: Played collegiate football at Wartburg, IA College, Played on two conference championship teams, Part of winningest class at Wartburg (38-6), Graduate Monticello, Iowa High School; All District, All-Conference, Team Captain Football; All-Conference Baseball.

Matt Rahl Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends/Tackles

3rd year

Education: B.S. Missouri Southern State College 2003... Graduation Union, MO HIgh School 1999.

Previous Coaching Positions: Student Assistant Coach Tightend/Offensive Line Missouri Southern State College.

Other Facts: Played collegiate football at Missouri Southern State College; All-District, All-Metro, All-Area, Three-time All-Conference, Team Captain.

Bruce Carpenter Graduate Assistant: Quarterbacks

2nd year

Education: B.S. Winona State University 2003, Graduate Johnsburg High School

Previous Coaching Positions: Richmond Illinois High School Assistant, Student Assistant Winona State '03

Other Facts: Played collegiate football at Winona State University for four years; Verizon All-District V Third Team, Third Team All-Midwest Region Weekly Football Gazette, Conference Glen Gallligan Award, Conference All-Academic, Honorable Mention D2football.com All-Midwest Region Quaterback, All Conference Second Team, Team Captain, All-County, All-Area, Two-time All-Conference, League MVP, Team MVP.

Patrick Ellestad Graduate Assistant: Running backs

1st year

Education: Graduate University of Wisconsin-Madison 2005; Graduated St. Mary's Springs High School, Fond du Lac, WI 2000

Other Facts: Two brothers have played varsity football at Winona State University ... Three-time letter winner and varsity player at Wisconsin. Three-year starter on special teams. Member of team that won Sun Bowl and Alamo Bowl championships. Member of National "W" Club ... Won nine letters in three varsity sports in high school. Member of three-time state football championship team. All-State, All-Area, Two-time first-team All-Conference at running back and defensive end. Team MVP. Team Captain; Member of two-time state championship track team.

Nick Jaeger Graduate Assistant/ Defensive Backs

2nd year

Education: Graduate Wauwatosa West, WI 1999

Other Facts: Played collegiate football at Winona State University for four years; '03 3rd Team All-American Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette, '02 Honorable Mention All-American Pre-season Weekly Football Gazette, '03 1st Team All-Midwest Region Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette, '03 1st Team All-Conference, '02 Second Team All-Conference, High Schoo ; All-Conference, Team Captain.

Jeff Reinardy Strength & Conditioning

5th Year

Wife: Mindy
Daughter: Rhiannon
Son: Cole

Education: Bachelor of Science 1994 WSU, Master of Science 1995 UW-La Crosse

Position held at Winona State: Director of Fitness Center

Previous coaching positions: Assistant football '93-'94 WSU ... Strength & Conditioning Coach '95-'98 University of Memphis
1998-2000 Iowa State - Men's basketball Big 12 champions 2000, Elite Eight appearance, Women's basketball Big 12 champs '99 and '00, '99 Elite Eight , '00 Sweet 16

Oher Facts: ADFPA American Squat record holder of 555 pounds at 148 weight class ... Four Minnesota State ADFPA powerlifting championships.

J.D. Vannoy Student Coach

Member of Winona State University football team three years ... Graduated Cedar Rapids, IA Prairie High School '02, All-State, All-Metro, All-Conference, MVP, Team Captain.

Stacey Czaplewski Athletic Trainer

8th year

Education: B.S. Iowa State 1991, M.A. Tusculum, TN 1994.

Previous training assignments: United States Olympic men's gymnastics 1996; Head athletic trainer women's wrestling team France Tour 1997; Men's and women's gymnastics and figure skating Goodwill games New York 1998; Women's soccer Pan American Games, Winnipeg, Canada 1999; Men's and women's track Paralympic Games Sydney, Australia 2000.

Josh Edwards Graduate Assistant/ Stength and Conditioning