Get To Know Adam Dorrel

Recruiting Area: Abilene

Adam Dorrel is at the start of his fifth season as the 20th head coach in Abilene Christian football history. Hired on Dec. 19, 2016 as a three-time AFCA DII Coach of the year at Northwest Missouri State University, Dorrel has an overall collegiate head coaching record of 90-34 record (.754) through 10 seasons.

The 2020 Wildcats were one of only 15 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams to play a fall schedule, and on Oct. 31 ACU won the 500th game in program history, defeating Mercer, 20-17, on a walk-off 38-yard field goal by Blair Zepeda.

Postseason All-Southland Conference awards later were presented to two of Dorrel’s players, freshman running back Jermiah Dobbins and junior defensive tackle Quent Titre. Dorrel has mentored 13 All-Southland Conference honorees during his tenure, a list that includes 2019 FCS All-America linebacker Jeremiah Chambers.

Dorrel’s rosters also have excelled in the classroom. Wide receiver Josh Fink and linebacker Jack Gibbens both received the honor of CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America, and seven student-athletes have made the Academic All-Southland Conference squad. The Wildcats also have posted four consecutive semesters with a team GPA above 3.0 and completed the COVID-interrupted 2019-20 academic year with a 3.07 GPA.
 

ACU Career Highlights

•    Winning the first game played at Wildcat Stadium, a 24-3 victory over Houston Baptist on Sept. 16, 2017.
•    Leading the program to its first winning season (2018) at the NCAA Division I level after the Wildcats beat Sam Houston State, 17-10, in Huntsville.
•    Recording the team’s first win over a top-15 team at the DI level (28-12 over then-No. 11 Nicholls on Oct. 13).
•    Winning consecutive overtime games in October 2019 vs. Stephen F. Austin (31-24) and at No. 15 Nicholls, 37-31. ACU’s win over the Colonels was its first on the road vs. a top-15 FCS school.
•    Coaching four different First Team All-Southland Conference honorees: Chambers (LB), Dobbins (RB), running back Tracy James and Titre (DT).
                   o    James led the Southland Conference in 2019 with 20 touchdowns and ranked third with 817 rushing yards. Chambers ranked third in the FCS this season with three fumble recoveries and was No. 1 in the conference with 5.8 solo tackles per game.
•    Overseeing a 2019 defense that ranked among the top-10 FCS programs with 3.0 sacks and 8.1 tackles for loss per game.
 

Dorrel Prior to ACU

•    Spent six seasons (2011-16) leading NCAA Division II power Northwest Missouri State University, where his teams won three national titles. 
•    Led the Bearcats to the DII playoffs in all six of his seasons as the head coach and led them to 30 straight victories to end his tenure at his alma mater.
•    Voted American Football Coaches’ Association (AFCA) Division II Coach of the Year in 2013, 2015 and 2016 when he led the Bearcats to national titles.
•    Served as offensive coordinator for the Bearcats from 2007-10, helping the Bearcats to an unprecedented five consecutive Division II championship appearances and their third national title in 2009. 
•    Offensive line coach at Northwest from 2004-06.
•    In his 13 seasons as a full-time coach with the Bearcats (2004-16), they posted a 163-22 record and won seven MIAA championships.
•    Spent the 1998-99 season as a graduate assistant at Northeastern (Oklahoma) State University. 
•    Returned to the Bearcats as a graduate assistant in 1999 when the team won the second of its back-to-back national titles.
•    Offensive line coach at Dakota State University (2000) in South Dakota and William Jewell College in Missouri (2001-03).
 

Education

•    Earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Northwest Missouri State in 1998, and completed his master’s degree in health and physical education from there in 2000.
 

Personal

•    All-America offensive lineman and three-year captain at Northwest Missouri State. 
•    Two-time all-district and all-conference lineman at Maryville (Mo.) High School. 
•    Dorrel and his wife, Erin, have twin daughters, Allie and Sam.