North Dakota State hires Tim Polasek as football coach: How he fits with the Bison

North Dakota State has named Wyoming offensive coordinator Tim Polasek its new coach.

Polasek replaces Matt Entz, who accepted an assistant job at USC last week but coached the Bison through Saturday’s FCS semifinal loss to Montana. Polasek worked as an NDSU assistant from 2006 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2016, before going to Iowa and then Wyoming. He will not coach the Cowboys in the Arizona Bowl against Toledo on Dec. 30.

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“Having been at NDSU two different times, Coach Polasek understands what it takes to be a Bison, appreciates our long history and tradition, and has the diverse experience to continue moving our football program forward,” NDSU athletic director Matt Larsen said in a release.

Polasek takes over a program with high standards that he’s plenty familiar with. The Bison have won nine FCS national championships since 2011. Craig Bohl won three before taking the Wyoming coaching job. Chris Klieman won four before taking the Kansas State coaching job, and Entz won two, though the program has begun to slip, with seven losses over the last two seasons. Polasek was a part of four of those titles.

“I am absolutely ecstatic to be back home at North Dakota State,” Polasek said in a statement. “It means so much to return to such a special place that has been incredibly formative professionally and personally. I am deeply honored to be able to give back to Fargo, the region, and Bison football.”

Polasek’s coaching break came with NDSU in 2006. He had been working as a part-time assistant at Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point and also as a lumberjack on the side to make money. Polasek was hired as an NDSU graduate assistant and had to sell golf clubs to get the money to drive to Fargo. He slept in the basement of the Fargodome after arriving. He eventually worked his way up from GA to offensive coordinator. Now he returns as the head coach.

“The burning desire to continue to learn has been evident,” Bohl said in 2020. “It’s been neat to see him grow. The sky’s the limit for him. I’m convinced he’s going to be a great head coach.”

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(Photo: Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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