Venerated College Football Head Coach Dana Dimel Reportedly Passed Away In His Sleep At 62, With Cause Of Death Under Wraps!

Dana Dimel recently made headlines after the shocking news of his sudden demise on December 3, 2024. However, details of the cause of his death remain ambiguous.

Born on October 9, 1962, the late Dana August Dimel is an American former college football coach and player. 

From 1997 to 1999, he was the head coach at the University of Wyoming. Then, from 2018 to 2023, he served as head football coach at the University of Texas at El Paso.

He has a career record of 50–88. Additionally, he coached at Kansas State and Arizona.

Dimel took over as head coach of UTEP in December 2017. However, UTEP dismissed Dimel after the 2023 season.

Then, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema hired Dimel as a senior offensive assistant on July 22, 2024.

Dana Dimel’s Family Reveals The Disheartening News About His Untimely Demise!

On December 3, 2024, revered head coach Dana Dimel passed away at  62.

The news of his demise became public through his wife and children, who were disheartened to share this sad news.

While the cause of death remains a mystery, he reportedly passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Netizens remark that 62 is an unusually young age for someone to die, and they speculate on several causes for his sudden death.

And while he was still alive, Dana appeared to be in good health and never mentioned any health problems.

Dana Dimel has passed away
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Therefore, this has led to many speculating that he might have suffered a stroke or cardiac arrest while sleeping.

According to this source, dying while sleeping, often known as nocturnal death, is most commonly associated with abrupt cardiac arrest and the gradual loss of heart function associated with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Other reasons why people may die while sleeping include lung failure and an end-stage or terminal condition.

Unexpected circumstances such as a stroke, seizure, or overdose of medications can also result in nocturnal death.

Besides these speculations, Dana’s family has preferred to remain silent about his cause of death.

Since the family is experiencing an inconsolable grief, it is essential to respect their boundaries.

Dimel’s wife, Julie, and kids, Winston and Josey, survive him.

Despite his untimely demise, Dana Dimel had an illustrious coaching career, describing his coaching stints as “larger than life.”

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kansas State, eventually working his way up to offensive coordinator under head coach Bill Snyder.

However, his head coaching career began at Wyoming, where he achieved a 22-13 record over three seasons.

His most notable tenure was with the UTEP football program. Moreover, his coaching philosophy was highly praised by many for focusing on physicality, discipline, and a balanced offensive approach.

“Today is a difficult day for college football and our Illini family. Dana was an exceptional person, husband, father, friend, and football coach. He affected the lives of countless coaches, players, and staff members for more than three decades in college football.”

Bret Bielema

Dana Dimel’s name will live on in the history of college football coaching.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• Dana Dimel‘s son, Winston, played fullback for his father at UTEP in 2018.
• In June 1987, he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), though he quit the team in August.
• Dimel played football at Upper Arlington High School in Upper Arlington, Ohio.