Courtesy: UNI Athletics Communications –
Former University of Northern Iowa head football coach Mike Dunbar passed away Sept. 13 following a battle with cancer. Dunbar was 64.
Dunbar served as the Panthers’ head coach from 1997-2000. He compiled a record of 29-15 on the Panther sideline.
“We appreciate the contributions Coach Dunbar made to UNI football,” UNI Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
UNI offensive line coach Rick Nelson is the only current member of the UNI staff that worked under Dunbar.
“Coach Dunbar brought me back to Iowa,” Nelson said. “He was a tough man and a great offensive coach. I learned a ton from coach and I never got a chance to tell him how much he mean to me and my family. I should have told Coach how much he influenced my life.”
Dunbar began his coaching career as the defensive coordinator at Central Washington from 1980-82. He served as the Central Washington head coach in 1983 before moving on to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Massachusetts from 1984-86. He returned to Central Washington as its head coach from 1987-91.
Dunbar was the offensive coordinator at the University of Toledo from 1992-96 and also served as an assistant head coach for the Rockets. He then took over the UNI Panther football program after Terry Allen left for Kansas following the 1996 season.
Dunbar worked as a coordinator at Northwestern (2001-05), California (2006), Minnesota (2007-08), New Mexico State (2010) and at Northern Illinois (2012) following his work at UNI.
Dunbar is survived by his wife, Linda, and two children, Troy and Lori.
