Football coaching staff selected to coach in 3rd Annual Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl

ADA — Ohio Northern head football coach Dean Paul and his coaching staff have been selected to coach the North team in the 3rd Annual Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl on April 14, 2012, announced by GameDay Management, in conjunction with the Ohio Army National Guard.

Paul will lead the North team, while the South team will be led by head coach Jack Hatem of Denison.

"We are incredibly fortunate to retain two coaches who are true professionals and well respected in the world of college football," said Todd Oliver, President of GameDay Management and OhioCollegeFootball.com.  "Ohio is blessed to not only have outstanding talent on the field but exceptional coaches roaming the sidelines as well."

Paul, a Mount Union graduate, just completed his eighth season with the Polar Bears, guiding ONU to a 6-4 record. In 2010, Ohio Northern rose as high as eighth nationally and finished 10-2 after losing in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

In his eight seasons at ONU, Paul has compiled a 58-24 record for a winning percentage of .707. He will enter the 2012 season needing just two wins to reach the 100-win plateau for his 13-year head coaching career.

"We appreciate Todd Oliver selecting our staff to coach in this game," Paul said. "It's an honor to be invited to coach in this type of game. We admire the effort and commitment that Todd has to this all-star game. The players we've had participate in the last two years have had a very positive experience.

"We look forward to the challenge to work with this year's North team and try to defend the North's title from the past two years. Our coaching staff has a passion for football and a chance to coach in a game of this magnitude is something we are really looking forward to."

Denison's Hatem is coming off a 5-5 season which ended on a high note with back-to-back victories and a final ranking of No. 11 in the OhioCollegeFootball.com Buckeye State Rankings.  This past fall marked the first time in Denison football history that a quarterback passed for over 2,000 yards and a running back rushed for over 1,000 yards.  In his two seasons at the helm, Denison has posted a record of 9-11.

A two-time Ohio High School Football Coach of the Year, Hatem brought 25 years of coaching experience and 13 years as the head coach at the high school level to the Denison program.  In 2007, he was promoted to defensive coordinator prior to taking over the Big Red program.

"We are looking forward to year three of the Senior Bowl," commented Oliver. "Each year this game continues to gain awareness as we strive to make this one of the premier football events in the spring."

The Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl III will be played on Saturday, April 14 at Columbus Crew Stadium with a 1 p.m. kickoff.  It marks the second year the game, which features the top seniors from all 41 Ohio colleges and universities, will be played at the 22,000-seat venue.