Chi Panther
December 28th, 2005, 12:32 PM
Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:35 AM CST
Salmon staying, Vokolek leaving
By DOUG NEWHOFF, Sports Editor
CEDAR FALLS - Bill Salmon is home, and he’s staying here for the immediate future, at least.
The University of Northern Iowa’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator has turned down an offer to join longtime friend and former Panther head coach Terry Allen’s new staff at Missouri State.
A native of Cedar Falls and a former all-America quarterback at UNI, Salmon returned to his alma mater five years ago when Mark Farley was hired as head coach. Both had spent the four previous seasons working for Allen at Kansas University.
“I am very pleased that Coach Salmon will be staying with us,” Farley said this morning. “He was the first one I asked to come back to UNI, and the whole reason for that was that I knew this football program and this community were important to him.
“I think if you strive to be a national championship-caliber program, you have to have people who care about your program and take ownership in it. It’s a lot more than a university and somebody you work for.”
Farley was not able to keep defensive coordinator D.J. Vokolek, who is Allen’s nephew.
Vokolek will be joining his uncle’s staff in Springfield, Mo., along with secondary coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Bolks, who made his decision Friday. Vokolek joined the UNI staff in 2003 after five seasons at Nebraska-Omaha.
“Coach Vokolek and Coach Bolks have both been very good for our program, and we appreciate what they’ve brought,” said Farley. “I am not surprised that they have chosen to move on. They have close ties to Missouri State.”
Farley said losing coaches is the cost of success. UNI has made three postseason appearances in the last five years and played for the national championship a few weeks ago.
“It’s part of the business,” he said. “When you play at the national level and have the success we’ve had, the exposure is great for your program and your university, but it’s also great exposure for your staff.
“But it works the other way, too. That exposure has let a lot of other coaches out there know what kind of program and university we have here. I think we will attract some great candidates for D.J.’s position.”
Farley also said it should serve as a wake-up call to UNI’s administration.
“It kind of alerts us to see the competitive nature of all this and how people will try to take from you and slip in the back door on you,” he noted. “You have to continue to grow your program. You can’t stand still.”
Athletics director Rick Hartzell is happy UNI was able to retain at least one of the three assistants who were courted by Allen.
“I think this has been a good thing in some ways,” he said. “It has forced us to evaluate and re-evaluate and find a way to go forward and be stronger, and that’s what we’re doing.
“You come to a point where the program is bigger than the people. We will put good people in those positions and continue to move forward.”
Salmon staying, Vokolek leaving
By DOUG NEWHOFF, Sports Editor
CEDAR FALLS - Bill Salmon is home, and he’s staying here for the immediate future, at least.
The University of Northern Iowa’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator has turned down an offer to join longtime friend and former Panther head coach Terry Allen’s new staff at Missouri State.
A native of Cedar Falls and a former all-America quarterback at UNI, Salmon returned to his alma mater five years ago when Mark Farley was hired as head coach. Both had spent the four previous seasons working for Allen at Kansas University.
“I am very pleased that Coach Salmon will be staying with us,” Farley said this morning. “He was the first one I asked to come back to UNI, and the whole reason for that was that I knew this football program and this community were important to him.
“I think if you strive to be a national championship-caliber program, you have to have people who care about your program and take ownership in it. It’s a lot more than a university and somebody you work for.”
Farley was not able to keep defensive coordinator D.J. Vokolek, who is Allen’s nephew.
Vokolek will be joining his uncle’s staff in Springfield, Mo., along with secondary coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Bolks, who made his decision Friday. Vokolek joined the UNI staff in 2003 after five seasons at Nebraska-Omaha.
“Coach Vokolek and Coach Bolks have both been very good for our program, and we appreciate what they’ve brought,” said Farley. “I am not surprised that they have chosen to move on. They have close ties to Missouri State.”
Farley said losing coaches is the cost of success. UNI has made three postseason appearances in the last five years and played for the national championship a few weeks ago.
“It’s part of the business,” he said. “When you play at the national level and have the success we’ve had, the exposure is great for your program and your university, but it’s also great exposure for your staff.
“But it works the other way, too. That exposure has let a lot of other coaches out there know what kind of program and university we have here. I think we will attract some great candidates for D.J.’s position.”
Farley also said it should serve as a wake-up call to UNI’s administration.
“It kind of alerts us to see the competitive nature of all this and how people will try to take from you and slip in the back door on you,” he noted. “You have to continue to grow your program. You can’t stand still.”
Athletics director Rick Hartzell is happy UNI was able to retain at least one of the three assistants who were courted by Allen.
“I think this has been a good thing in some ways,” he said. “It has forced us to evaluate and re-evaluate and find a way to go forward and be stronger, and that’s what we’re doing.
“You come to a point where the program is bigger than the people. We will put good people in those positions and continue to move forward.”