Tom Minnick set to be inducted into the NJCAA Coach's Association Hall of Fame
By Mike Pilosof
Photo by Adam Shrimplin
Garden City, KS-Many years ago, a former coach was quoted as saying: "Tom Minnick will go down as the best recruiter in the history of Junior College football." Hyperbole? Hardly. Not when you consider an illustrious three-decade career filled with some of the most iconic moments imaginable.
All of that came full circle on Wednesday when Minnick, the man responsible for resuscitating the Arizona Western program back into a national power, the same man who has won more games than all but three active coaches, was inducted into the NJCAA Coach's Association Hall of Fame.
"This is an extreme honor," Minnick said. "You work your entire career to get to this point, and I couldn't be humbler. But the only reason I am here is because of all the great coaches who have helped me along the way. I know he's not here with us now, but I can't thank Bob MacDougall enough for what he did for my career."
MacDougall, the legendary coach who touted more than 200 career victories at the College of Dupage and is still the second winningest lead man in NJCAA history trailing only John Eliasik, was Minnick's mentor both as a player and a coach. Minnick was his starting quarterback at Dupage before becoming his assistant. He then followed MacDougall to Joliet, helping pave the way for the Wolves to become the first non-scholarship team in NJCAA history to win the National Championship in 2002.
"That man did everything for me," Minnick said of his late friend. "When you think of all the success that he had, I was able to be part of that. I learned how to be a coach because of him."
Minnick landed his first head coaching gig at Joliet when MacDougall retired following the 2006 campaign. The following year, he led them to the Graphic Edge Bowl and was named the Region Coach of the Year.
"I have crossed paths with so many great people along the way," Minnick said. "I wouldn't have traded this journey for anything."
In 2008, Minnick took the reins at Arizona Western, a program which had won just 11 games combined the previous three seasons. And after a 5-5 finish his first year, the Matadors won nine games in 2009, their most victories since 1972. Two years later, they earned the first of three trips to the National Championship Game, placing Arizona Western firmly in the national spotlight.
"I would be remiss if I didn't thank Jerry Smith for everything he did for me," Minnick explained. "He gave me an opportunity."
And boy did Minnick thrive. The Fort Wayne, IN native is the only head man in program history to lead the Matadors to nine straight bowl games while guiding Arizona Western to top-20 finishes in eight out of his 11 seasons in Yuma.
"It was a hell of a ride at Arizona Western," Minnick stated. "We did a lot of really good things during those 11 years, and I can't thank my assistant coaches and my players enough."
Following the 2018 season, Arizona Western folded its football program, garnering Minnick as the biggest coaching free agent in the history of Junior College Football. Then, during the week of the 2018 National Championship Game, Minnick was named the new head man at Garden City, where in three seasons, he's compiled a 22-7 record. During his first year in 2019, he became the first coach since Hall of Famer Bob Larson in 1999 to win eight or more games during his inaugural campaign.
"We knew what kind of coach we were hiring three years ago," said Colin Lamb, who along with College President, Dr. Ryan Ruda, hired Minnick following Jeff Sims' departure in 2018. "This is one of the best coaches in the history of Junior College ball."
Minnick enters Saturday's Scooter's Coffee Bowl with the third-highest winning percentage among active NJCAA coaches, and his 133 career victories ranks him 27th all-time.