UTEP has their new head coach.
The school announced Wednesday that they have hired recent Kansas State offensive coordinator Dana Dimel to lead the Miners in what will be his third head coaching gig but first in nearly 15 years.
“I’m greatly looking forward to the opportunity at UTEP to build a program utilizing a ‘1-0' concept,” Dimel said in a statement. “I would like to thank President Natalicio and Jim Senter for the opportunity. We will work diligently to elevate UTEP football to the highest level in Conference USA. Having been a part of a major turnaround at Kansas State and having the success we did at Wyoming, I’m just really excited about the leadership challenge that’s ahead.”
Dimel was a head coach with the Cowboys from 1997-1999 as they transitioned from the WAC to the Mountain West and compiled a 22-13 record up in Laramie. He also has Conference USA experience from a three-year stint with Houston where he went 8-26 before being replaced by Art Briles. He also coached at Arizona as an assistant but has spent 17 years at his alma mater of Kansas State over two stints, having been the Wildcats offensive coordinator since 2009.
Dimel replaces Sean Kugler in the full-time role after the Miners’ former head coach went 18–36 over four and a half seasons before resigning during the 2017 campaign. Interim head coach Mike Price was 0-7 with the team after taking over as UTEP completed a winless season.