MOORHEAD-Former Minnesota State Moorhead linebacker Aaron Bohl is set to start his football coaching career next month-and his father will be his boss.
Bohl announced Monday, Jan. 23, that he will be a defensive graduate assistant at Wyoming where his father, Craig Bohl, is the head coach.
"I've always been wanting to get into coaching since I was a little kid," said Aaron, who graduated from MSUM in December.
Craig Bohl, the former head coach at North Dakota State, has been the Cowboys head coach for three seasons. Aaron said he looked at other coaching options while consulting with his father, but the job at Wyoming ended up being the most appealing.
"Last week, we felt like this was going to be a great opportunity and a great fit," Aaron said. "These (opportunities) are not easy to come by, granted I had a good foot in the door. ... There are a lot of people trying to get into this profession."
ADVERTISEMENT
Aaron said he was looking at similar positions at the FCS and Division II level before the graduate assistant spot opened at Wyoming. The school was always on the radar, and Aaron and his father decided the timing was right to work together.
Aaron said his father will hold him accountable like any other coach on staff.
"If there are only 10 guys out on the scout team (defense) and we need 11, I will let you know about it," Aaron said, relaying a conversation he had with his dad.
Aaron, from Lincoln, Neb., was a four-year starter for the Dragons at linebacker.
"He's got a great perspective on the profession given his lineage," Dragons head coach Steve Laqua said. "He's really driven to learn. You could see that in his time here. ... He was always asking deeper questions about culture and how to run a program."
Aaron said he was in seventh grade when he started to prepare to get into coaching. However, the signs were there prior to that. Aaron said his mother, Deanna Bohl, told him a story about one of his "show-and-tell" items during kindergarten. He brought the Nebraska defensive playbook. Craig is a former defensive coordinator and assistant coach at Nebraska.
Aaron's goal is to one day be a college head coach.
"That is my goal and that's something I've been working toward and this is just another step in that process," Aaron said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Laqua thinks Wyoming is the right situation for Aaron.
"It's a great opportunity to be with family and get into a really good football program," Laqua said. "Professionally, this is a good move, and I think personally, this is a good move."
