Central hires football assistants from Mary Hardin-Baylor, Anderson
Central College has named Carl Coleman and former Dutch defensive lineman Nick Mulder as assistant football coaches.
Dutch coach Jeff McMartin said Coleman will likely work in the defensive backfield while Mulder will coach in the defensive line.
"We're really excited to have both of them," McMartin said.
Coleman is a 2009 graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) and is completing requirements for a master's degree there. Coleman was a student assistant coach for the Crusaders from 2006-08, then spent the last three seasons as a graduate assistant. He's coached defensive backs and wide receivers while also serving as the program's recruiting coordinator. Mary-Hardin Baylor won American Southwest Conference titles during each of his six seasons on the staff and reached the NCAA Division III semifinals in 2007 and 2008. The Crusaders pulled out a 42-40 victory over Central at Pella in the 2009 NCAA playoffs.
"Mary Hardin-Baylor has a rich, successful tradition," McMartin said. "Carl brings another unique perspective to our program. He comes from a family of coaches—his dad's a high school coach—and he really knows the game.
"Carl is also a great communicator and a relationship builder. He'll be a great recruiter."
Mulder, a Pella native, is a 2007 Central graduate and was a two-time second-team all-Iowa Conference defensive lineman. He was a member of three NCAA playoff squads and teams that won or shared three league championships.
For the past two seasons Mulder has served as a graduate assistant coach in the defensive line for Anderson University (Ind.). The 2011 Anderson defense led the Heartland Conference in sacks and turnovers forced. Since August, Mulder has also served as the football team's strength and conditioning coordinator. He is completing requirements for a masters of business administration degree.
"Nick has the perspective of a former Central player," McMartin said. "He also understands the Pella community and has a deep appreciation for that.
"He really knows defense. He did a great job as a player for us and as a coach at Anderson. He's a great connector and very expressive. He will work hard and do a great job in recruiting.
"I think both Carl and Nick bring a lot of passion to the program. It will be exciting to infuse these guys into our defense and our team."
Central, which is coming off a 7-3 season, has captured a record 30 Iowa Conference championships with 20 NCAA playoff berths. The Dutch are the second-winningest college or university football team in America since 1975 and haven't had a losing season since 1960.
Coleman and Mulder will each join the Central staff in time for the team's April workouts. The Dutch open the 2012 campaign Sept. 1 at Wis.-Oshkosh.
