Horan Names New Assistant Coaches

MOORHEAD, Minn. (3/25/19)---Concordia head coach Terry Horan announced the hiring of four assistant coaches. Luke Peterson, Darrell Olson, Andrew Moore and Jason Montonye have all been added to the staff for the upcoming 2019 season.

The new additions to the Cobber staff replace long-time, storied assistants Dale Hertel, Dan Kostich and John Marsh who retired after the end of the 2018 season and defensive backs coach Brian Mistro who left to take the head coaching position at the University of Jamestown.

"I am excited about all four coaches and the impact that they will have on the program," commented Horan. "Having to replace four outstanding assistants is a big task but Luke, Andrew, Darrell and Jason will do an outstanding job in bringing their experiences and knowledge of the game to the student/athletes."

All four assistant coaches have connections to the Fargo-Moorhead area. Peterson, Olson and Montonye all played for the Cobbers while Moore spent the past two seasons as a student assistant at North Dakota State University.

Peterson, who will take over for Mistro as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator, played for Concordia from 2010-13 and earned MIAC All-Conference honors as a senior in 2013 when he a team captain and was third on the team in total tackles.

After his playing days as a Cobber, Peterson returned for the 2014 season as an assistant coach. He then headed to the University of Mary where he was a graduate assistant for the 2015 season where he worked with the team's defensive ends. Peterson was then hired by Wisconsin-Stout to serve as an assistant coach in charge of linebackers for the 2016-17 campaigns. During his time at Stout, the Blue Devils beat No.4-ranked St. Thomas at the start of the 2017 season.  

"Luke has turned into a very good football coach," Horan added. He has gone on from Concordia and worked with two very good programs and helped both teams be successful . Having learned from many great coaches in the past several years he will be a terrific addition to the defensive side of the ball."
 
Olson is the most experienced of the new assistants as he has been in coaching for over 30 years. Olson graduated from Concordia in 1977 and was a tight end for the Cobbers during his playing days. Olson went on to become a graduate assistant at North Dakota State when the Bison won the NCAA Division II national championship in 1988.

Olson went on to become the head coach at West Fargo High School where he was named the East Region Coach of the Year in 1990. From West Fargo, Olson moved back to Minnesota to become the head coach at Pelican Rapids High School where he coached from 1991-1997. Olson then moved to the Twin Cities are where he has been the assistant coach at Maple Grove High School since 1997. 

"I've known Darrell for years and he has an unbelievable understanding of football," Horan said. "He will be a huge asset for our offense and the receivers will be learning from a tremendous football coach."  

Olson will be the receivers coach for the Cobbers.

Moore was a part of a pair of NCAA Division I FCS national championship teams with North Dakota State the past two seasons. Moore, who went to Crosby-Ironton High School and played for former Cobber Mike Gindorf, was responsible for scouting opponents' defense, self-scouting NDSU's offense and scouting special teams. He also helped with recruiting and evaluating talent.

"Andrew's experience with NDSU has given him a leg-up on most young coaches," Horan stated. "He has been around a tremendous program that has succeeded at the highest level. Having worked with the Bison for the past two seasons will help our players learn from a championship culture."     

Moore will be an assistant on the offensive side of the ball and will be the slots coach.

Montonye earned MIAC postseason honors in three seasons as a standout running back for Concordia from 2014-17. He earned MIAC All-Conference honors as a junior and senior and finished his career with 1,288 rushing yards and scored 18 touchdowns. He also recorded over500 receiving yards in his time for the Cobbers.

Montoyne spent last year at Minnesota State in Mankato where he started his course work for his master's degree in Athletic Administration.

"Jason was a special player for us," Horan added. "What made him succeed was his work ethic and attention to doing the little things correctly. That will be a huge plus for him as a coach and his example will help our backs immensely."

Montonye will be the fullbacks and tight ends coach for the upcoming season.

Concordia will start the 2019 season at Wis.-La Crosse on Saturday, Sept. 7. The Cobbers will host 2018 NCAA semifinalist Wis.-Whitewater on the home opener on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 12 p.m.