Illinois assistant coach Dana Dimel dies at 62, agent issues a statement
Illinois senior offensive assistant and former UTEP head coach Dana Dimel died this Tuesday, a statement released by his agent, Pete Roussel, confirmed. Dimel was 62 and had been with the Fighting Illini since 2024.
The statement read:
"Dana Dimel passed away in his sleep this morning. His passing is gut-wrenching. Dana was my first client over a decade ago and the single most enjoyable client to be with after a win. Some of the games he called at K-State were remarkable and he never cared about receiving individual credit. Dana loved his wife. He absolutely adored his children. He was one of the most positive people I knew, and he was unafraid of any challenge. He had an incredible zest for life, one that would make those around him smile time and time again. I will miss Dana more than words can express"
Besides UTEP and Illinois, Dimel worked in Arizona, Houston, Kansas State, and Wyoming. As a player, he was an All-American offensive tackle with the K-State Wildcats in the 1980s.
Between 1997 and 1999, Dimel was the Cowboys' head coach, and he led them to three consecutive winning seasons. He also took the UTEP Miners to a Bowl appearance as recently as 2021.
Illinois' Bret Bielema pays his respects to the late Dana Dimel
One of the first to pay their respects to the late Dana Dimel was the man who was his boss since he joined the Fighting Illini in July, Bret Bielema.
“Dana was an exceptional person, husband, father, friend, and football coach,” Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. “He affected the lives of countless coaches, players, and staff members for more than three decades in college football. His influence on our program was incredible to witness and be a part of. His infectious positive energy had a major impact on me, our players, and everyone in our building every day. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family.”
Dana Dimel is survived by his wife, Julie, and two sons, Winston and Josey. Winston Dimel was a three-time All-Big 12 fullback at Kansas State who eventually moved to UTEP when his father got the head coaching position.