Texas vs The Nation

As Head Coach at Northwest Missouri State University, Mel Tjeersdma has led the football program to 2 NCAA Division II National Championships in both 1998 and 1999. Tjeerdsma guided Northwest to back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in 1998 and 1999 and five straight MIAA Championships. Tjeerdsma has been named MIAA Coach of the Year in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000, and was named American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year for both 1998 and 1999.
Prior to coaching at Northwest, Tjeerdsma was the head coach at Austin College in Sherman, Texas from 1984 through 1993. He compiled a 60-38-4 record while at Austin College and was the school's winningest coach. Before his time at Austin College, Tjeerdsma was the offensive coordinator at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa for eight years. Tjeerdsma earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Southern State of Texas in 1967 and his master's degree in physical education at Northwest Missouri State in 1977. Tjeerdsma and his wife Carol reside in Maryville. They have three grown children.