Former graduate assistant John Van Dam has been named as an assistant coach for the Viking football team, head coach Mike Aldrich announced.
Van Dam, who was in charge of tight ends as a graduate assistant, will now also work with wide receivers and be the recruiting coordinator.
He attributes his passion for coaching to the coaches and mentors in his life, including his father, who served as an assistant coach for Michigan State.
“My father was a coach,” Van Dam said. “Seeing the impact that he made on others' lives and my own made me want a piece of the action.”
Van Dam played collegiately at Michigan State where he studied and played behind future NFL quarterbacks Drew Stanton (Detroit Lions) and Brian Hoyer (New England Patriots). While there he received a teaching degree.
He came to Augustana to pursue a master's degree in education and feels that the graduate assistant opportunity allowed him to grow as a person and a coach and is honored to be the first hire under new head coach, Mike Aldrich.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to coach at Augustana College,” Van Dam said. “I have been here for back to back eight-win seasons and see how the program is going in the right direction. Working for coach Aldrich will be a great opportunity for me, as we both share a similar vision on the future of Augustana football and the direction we are headed.”
Although he played as a quarterback, Van Dam believes that his knowledge of that position will translate well to the Augustana wide receivers.
"I inherit a group of talented receivers, with three returning starters and a lot of depth behind them," he said. "Together we will move forward doing things the right way and preparing every day to win. I hope that I can have as positive an impact on these students' lives as my father and past coaches had on mine."
