Football 12/20/2021 9:00:00 AM David Boyce

The Dorrel Days Have Arrived

Special to bronchosports.com courtesy of David Boyce

A few days after the University of Central Oklahoma hired Adam Dorrel as the school's 14th head football coach on Dec. 5, Dorrel met with the players.

From his experience as a football player at Northwest Missouri in the mid-1990s, to just a few weeks ago when he was let go as the head coach at Abilene Christian, Dorrel understands this is a difficult period for the returning players. The coach that recruited the current Bronchos is gone.

Dorrel faced the moment the same way he did things when he led Northwest Missouri State to three national titles in a four-year span from 2013-16. He relied on straight-forward honesty. First, Dorrel told them he was fired from ACU and he met with those players he brought to the school.

"I saw how they had to process the information and how it hurt them," Dorrel said. "I went through it my first year at Northwest Missouri State as a player. I know it is a trying time. I asked them to be open minded to things we are going to do different on offense, defense, the weight room.

"The other thing I said to them is give us a chance. If you don't like it, you can transfer in the spring. I will help you. I think that sunk in. I told them I am not coming in to replace people. I am trying to earn your trust and get to know you."

One thing Dorrel learned from his five years at ACU is to be true to yourself. For his first couple of years at ACU, he altered his recruiting philosophy. He listened to folks tell him what was acceptable in Texas.

After a few years, Dorrel went back to what worked for him at Northwest Missouri, when the Bearcats had a four-year run in which they went 55-2.

One of the things Dorrel likes is hard-nosed players who have a competitive fire even when adversity strikes. Dorrel definitely likes football players that happen to have a wrestling background. The strong high school wrestling programs in Oklahoma is one of many reasons Dorrel is excited about his new job.

"We made a lot of hay with those kids at Northwest," Dorrel said. "To me, if you can find that kid with the wrestling background who is a football player, their competitiveness, their temperament, I think is just a little better."

There are many other reasons why Dorrel and his wife felt Central Oklahoma was the perfect place for them. They like the school system their daughters will be entering.

"We are in the middle of the state," he said. "Edmond is beautiful. UCO, the campus, is absolutely gorgeous. There are a lot of good academic programs like forensic science, which is one of the best in the United States. There were a lot of things I was just blown away with."

Dorrel is thrilled by the support and vision from Central Oklahoma athletic director Stan Wagnon. And the facilities, which are already top-notch, are only getting better with a stadium expansion project getting underway this winter.

"Their facilities are phenomenal," Dorrel said. "They are nicer than anything I had at my last school. The end zone complex is self-contained. What I mean by that is the weight room is there, nutrition is there, you have the athletic offices there, athletic training, the academic support is on the top floor.

"Monday, they are redoing the visitor side and redoing the turf. I think it is a $15 million project. When it is done, and it will be ready to go next season, I think UCO will have the nicest stadium/football complex in the MIAA. If not the best, it is right there at the top."

Dorrel is also glad to be back in the MIAA.

"The best days of my life coaching have been in the MIAA," Dorrel said. "I'm fortunate to be back. Coaching jobs are hard to get. I know I am biased, but I think we are in the best, top to bottom Division II conference in the country. If you can do well in this league and get to the playoffs, I think you have a chance to do some things in the playoffs.

"Our players understand that. They are hungry to take that next step."

And Dorrel has the same hunger to build a winner at Central Oklahoma.

"I'm fired up," Dorrel said in his opening words Friday in a telephone interview.

Dorrel talked with the same enthusiasm he always exuded at Northwest Missouri. Because of his success there and the fact he grew up in Maryville and played high school and college football there, Dorrel will always be connected to that area.

Obviously, he will be asked the question numerous times in 2022 when Central Oklahoma plays Northwest Missouri.

"It will be exciting," Dorrel said. "It will be a little bit weird at first. People there know how much I feel about that place and how much I love that place and how much I love Rich Wright and that staff. That's not going to change. I am rooting for those guys in every game but one. I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

But Dorrel is now a Broncho, and he couldn't be happier with his new football journey.

"There is a really solid foundation at UCO and that is what excites me the most," he said.

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