Former UTEP head coach Dana Dimel to join coaching staff at Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois - Former UTEP head football coach Dana Dimel will don another shade of orange on the sidelines this football season.

Monday it was announced Dimel will join the coaching staff at Illinois.

He was hired as the team's senior offensive assistant.

For the past six seasons, Dimel was the head football coach at UTEP from 2018-2023.

The Miners were 5-26 over Dimel's first three seasons, and then in 2021 he led the team to a 7-6 record and a trip to the New Mexico Bowl. 

Dimel was fired following the 2023 season following back-to-back losing seasons.

Prior to UTEP Dimel was an assistant coach at Kansas State, but he also served as head coach of two division 1 programs, Houston and Wyoming.

He now joins a Big 10 program in Illinois and their head coach Bret Bielema who has been the head coach at Illinois since 2020.

Last season the Fighting Illini finished with a record of 5-7.

(The below information is courtesy of Illinois Athletics)

"We are so excited to bring Dana, and his long history of experiences throughout his career, to Illinois," Bielema said. "He will be a great voice and another experienced coach on our staff."

"My family and I are very much looking forward to joining Coach Bielema," Dimel said. "He is an outstanding football coach and leader and I have always admired how his teams play the game. We can't wait to start working with the talented staff to help the program and players reach high levels of success."