At Northwest he was coached by Mel Tjeerdsma who took the Bearcats to five consecutive NCAA Division II Football Championship title games between 2005 and 2009. During his years the team went to the quarterfinals in 2004 and the finals in 2005. In 2011, he personally paid for the Northwest jerseys at the request of Scott Bostwick who as defensive coordinator had brought him to Northwest. Bostwick had succeeded Tjeerdsma in 2011 but died of a heart attack before the start of the 2011 season. His wife is Megan (née Stalder), a former Northwest softball player.