Longtime West Michigan Coach Dan Rohn Elevated To Full-Time Role On Ferris State Football Staff

Big Rapids, Mich. - Longtime West Michigan football coach Dan Rohn, who served on the Ferris State University football staff this past fall as the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Division II National Football Semifinals, has been elevated into a full-time assistant coaching role as announced by FSU head coach Tony Annese.

Rohn will continue to serve on the Bulldogs' offensive staff as the school's quarterbacks coach and run game coordinator. Along with a recent staff addition in former Davenport assistant coach Steve Casula, Rohn helps fill the full-time voids created due to the departure of previous full-time assistant coaches Kyle Nystrom and Sparky McEwen, who both earned head coaching opportunities at fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) schools in Northern Michigan and Davenport, respectively.

Last fall, Rohn joined the FSU staff following a long stint as a prep football head coach in West Michigan. Under Annese's direction, he helped lead FSU to the Super Region Four Championship last fall and a school-record tying 12 wins along with a memorable postseason run.

Rohn played a key role in the development last fall of FSU signal callers Reggie Bell and Trevor Bermingham, who combined for nearly 5,000 yards of total offense and accounted for 53 touchdowns in replacing two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner Jason Vander Laan at the quarterback position. FSU again ranked among the nation's top offensive units in 2016 and had the nation's leading rushing quarterback for the fifth consecutive year.

"Coach Rohn has been a great addition to our staff and did an outstanding job for us last fall," said Annese, who earned Football Gazette Super Region Four Coach of the Year honors for the second-straight campaign. "We're thrilled he'll be with us on an ongoing basis and have no doubts he'll continue to be a great influence and build strong relationships with the student-athletes in our program."

Rohn was no stranger to Annese prior to his Ferris State arrival as the two previously worked together at various camps and clinics for more than 25 years.

Before joining the FSU staff, Rohn captured four state championships as the head coach at West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids, including three-straight crowns from 2013-15. He directed the program for nine years and won nine-straight conference titles with a 49-1 record, six district championships and six regional crowns. His team also won the state title in 2011 and was the state runner-up in 2012.

Rohn was honored as both the Detroit Free Press and Detroit Lions' 2014 State Coach of the Year.

Overall, Rohn brings 17 years of head coaching experience on the prep level to the Bulldog program, including stints at both Fremont High School and Grand Rapids West Catholic. He amassed more than 150 victories in his prep head coaching tenure.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Rohn played collegiately at Grand Valley State under current Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly where he was a three-year letterwinner. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from GVSU before going on to receive a master's degree in secondary administration from Western Michigan.

Rohn has two sons, Jackson and Gabe. He is engaged to Roxanne Kiesling.

This past fall, the Bulldogs posted a 12-3 overall record while advancing to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals for only the second time in school history. In 2016, the Bulldogs also posted a school-record tying 12 victories. Ferris State received the program's third-straight NCAA Football Playoff berth and captured the Super Region Four Championship by beating archrival Grand Valley State during a memorable postseason run. The 15-week campaign, which included three postseason playoff wins, was the school's longest in 108 years of Bulldog Football.

Over the last three seasons at Ferris State, the Bulldogs have compiled a 34-5 overall record and claimed two conference championships, posted two unbeaten regular-seasons, captured a regional title and reached the national semifinals. Ferris State has also accumulated two Harlon Hill National Player of the Year trophies, twice had a student-athlete tabbed as the nation's National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and won four postseason games.

In the five seasons under Annese, the Bulldogs have become a national power on the Division II level. FSU has posted a 49-12 overall mark in the last five years and the Bulldogs have also posted the best winning percentage of all 21 collegiate programs in the state of Michigan along with the GLIAC since his arrival.

Ferris State opened spring practice drills Tuesday (March 21) and the annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game is set for April 22 at FSU's Top Taggart Field.