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University of Minnesota Athletics
Dan O?Brien Joins Minnesota Football Staff
3/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Hamline University director of athletics Dan O’Brien has been named Minnesota’s director of football operations and high school relations, head coach Tim Brewster announced Monday.
O’Brien has served as Hamline’s director of athletics since June of 2002 and replaces Randy Taylor, who stepped down on Feb. 14 to pursue other opportunities in private business.
“I am proud to announce the addition of Dan O’Brien as our new director of football operations and high school relations,” Brewster said. “Dan is a lifelong Minnesotan with tremendous coaching ties to the region both as a high school and a college coach and with his experience as a college administrator I am extremely excited by what he brings to both aspects of this position.”
Hamline Athletics took a quantum leap forward during O’Brien’s tenure, with the number of student-athletes competing in the postseason rising from one to 121 during his tenure. The Pipers’ athletic program also claimed two MIAC championships in the past two and a half years, capturing men's hockey and men's cross country titles. The men’s cross country program also claimed a NCAA Central Region title.
“My five and a half years at Hamline have been wonderful and in many ways it was incredibly difficult to leave,” O’Brien said. “But as a person who grew up in the state of Minnesota, this is a dream opportunity. With the new stadium opening for the 2009 season and the recently signed nationally-ranked recruiting class, I don’t think there has been a better time to get involved with Gopher football.”
Under O’Brien leadership, twenty-three Hamline teams qualified for MIAC or national playoff opportunities or finished the regular season in the top four in the conference. In each of the past five years, at least one Hamline program made a national tournament appearance, and in 2006-07 six Hamline athletic teams reached the postseason.
Prior to taking the reins at Hamline, O'Brien worked at Concordia-St. Paul University in various capacities from 1995 to 2002, including head football coach and Director of Athletics. While at Concordia, O'Brien was instrumental in helping the Golden Bears moved from the NAIA and the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference to NCAA Div. II and the Northern Sun Conference.
O’Brien began his tenure at Concordia as the Golden Bears’ assistant head football coach in 1995. He later served as head coach during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, while also working as the school’s director of athletics.
A native of Winthrop, Minn., O'Brien began his football coaching career as an assistant coach at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in 1987 before moving on to Lakeville High School as an assistant in 1989. O’Brien was later named the head football coach and Bemidji High School in 1993.
O'Brien is a 1987 graduate of the University of St. Thomas, where he played football for three seasons. He was an All-MIAC defensive back and served as team captain his two final years at the school.
O’Brien will remain in his position as director of athletics at Hamline until April 1, when he officially joins the football staff at the University of Minnesota.
