LARAMIE, Wyo. — Dana Dimel, head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1997 to 1999, passed away in his sleep this morning, according to his agent, Pete Roussel.
He was 62.
Roussel said in a post on X that Dimel was one of the best people to be around after a win.
“Some of the games he called at K-State were remarkable and he never cared about receiving individual credit. Dana loved his wife. He absolutely adored his children,” Rousell said. “He was one of the most positive people I knew and he was unafraid of any challenge.”
While Dimel started his career as assistant coach and then offensive coordinator at Kansas State, his first head coaching gig was at the University of Wyoming. When he got the job in 1997, he was the youngest D1 coach in the country.
In a post on X, Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman shared his condolences for Dimel to his relatives and his wife, Julie.
“My heart breaks for his family and those close to Dana and Julie,” Burman said. “Dana had a passion for people. He truly was an amazing person and he will be missed!”
During his tenure at the University of Wyoming, the Pokes went 22–13.
In his decades-long career, Dimel was also head coach at the University of Houston, head coach at the University of Texas El Paso, tight ends coach and running game coordinator at the University of Arizona, coach at Kansas State University and offensive assistant at the University of Illinois.
