Governor Parson Appoints Former Head Coach Mel Tjeerdsma To Northwest Missouri State Board Of Regents

Governor Mike Parson has announced the appointment of former head coach Mel Tjeerdsma, of Maryville, to Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents.

Mel Tjeerdsma was the head football coach at Northwest from 1994 to 2010 and led the Bearcats to a 183-43 record, capturing three NCAA Division II national championships and 12 MIAA titles. A member of several halls of fame, Tjeerdsma was inducted last December into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Coach Tjeerdsma served as Northwest’s director of athletics from the spring of 2013 until retiring from that role last April. During that time, Northwest captured four NCAA Division II national championships, 11 MIAA regular-season titles and six MIAA tournament titles.

As an interim appointment, Tjeerdsma can begin serving immediately but must be confirmed by the Missouri Senate for his appointment to become official.