Chambana Sun

Dana Dimel has joined the Illinois football program as a senior offensive assistant, according to an announcement made by head coach Bret Bielema. Dimel, who has 12 seasons of experience as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level, is expected to bring significant expertise to the Fighting Illini staff.

"We are so excited to bring Dana, and his long history of experiences throughout his career, to Illinois," said Bielema. "He will be a great voice and another experienced coach on our staff."

Dimel expressed enthusiasm about his new role, stating, "My family and I are very much looking forward to joining Coach Bielema. He is an outstanding football coach and leader and I have always admired how his teams play the game. We can't wait to start working with the talented staff to help the program and players reach high levels of success."

Before joining Illinois, Dimel served as head coach at UTEP for six seasons from 2018 to 2023. During his tenure there, he led a significant turnaround for the Miners, improving their record from a combined 2-22 in his first two seasons to a 7-6 mark that included a berth in the 2021 New Mexico Bowl.

Dimel's coaching career began at Wyoming from 1997 to 1999 when he became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I FBS at age 34. His leadership resulted in three consecutive winning seasons for Wyoming.

After Wyoming, Dimel spent three years leading the Houston Cougars from 2000-02. At Houston, he was noted for recruiting top-ranked classes and achieving notable turnarounds.

A product of Kansas State's coaching lineage under Bill Snyder, Dimel has had multiple stints with KSU both as a player and coach. He played as an offensive tackle from 1984-1986 before embarking on his coaching career which included several roles at Kansas State over different periods.

Dimel also contributed significantly during his time at Arizona (2006-08) where he worked with tight ends and running backs. Notably, he helped develop Rob Gronkowski into one of NFL's top tight ends.

Throughout his extensive career spanning over three decades, Dimel has been instrumental in mentoring numerous players who advanced to professional careers in the NFL.

Dimel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from Kansas State University. He is married to Julie Dimel with whom he shares two children: Winston and Josey.