UNI defensive coordinator interviews for Bison football opening

By Jeff Kolpack

February 24, 2011 at 11:08 PM

North Dakota State head football coach Craig Bohl said Thursday that he has interviewed Northern Iowa defensive coordinator Chris Klieman for the defensive backs position.

Klieman just finished his eighth year with the Panthers, who play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with NDSU. The Bison are looking for a secondary coach after Brian Ward resigned to become the defensive coordinator at Drake University (Iowa.).

Bohl said he cannot comment if the position has been offered to anybody.

Meanwhile, UNI players linked to Twitter accounts appear to be bracing for losing a coach.

Northern Iowa defensive back Garrett Scott said on his Twitter account "our db coach just left us." Varmah Sonie, another defensive back, tweeted "imma miss my coach."

NDSU has had plenty of trouble with UNI defenses in recent years. Last fall, the Panthers sacked NDSU quarterbacks a school-record 11 times and held the Bison to minus-40 yards rushing in a 16-9 UNI victory. In 2008, the Panthers picked off four Bison passes and recovered a fumble in a 23-13 win.

NDSU is 0-3 in its Division I meetings with the Panthers. In 2009, the Panthers were fourth in Division I Football Championship Subdivision in scoring defense and led the Missouri Valley in rushing and passing defense.

Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be heard on the Saturday Morning Sports Show, 9-11 a.m. on WDAY-AM (970). He can be reached at (701) 241-5546.

Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found at www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.