Illinois assistant Dana Dimel, a head coach at Wyoming, Houston and UTEP, dies at the age of 62

By DAVE SKRETTA The Associated Press

FILE - UTEP head coach Dana Dimel walks the field during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, on Sept. 9, 2023, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Erin Hooley]

Illinois assistant coach Dana Dimel, who was an All-American offensive tackle for Kansas State and later the head coach at Wyoming, Houston and UTEP, died Tuesday. He was 62. Dimel’s wife, Julie, and children Winston and Josey announced his death in a statement. No cause was given. Dimel will be perhaps best known for his time with Bill Snyder at Kansas State, where over 19 seasons covering three different stints he helped to turn around a moribund program. Dimel was 50-88 as a head coach in his own right. He helped the Illini go 9-3 this past season as a senior offensive assistant to Illinois coach Bret Bielema.