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Mike Gardner

For others of the same name, see Michael Gardner (disambiguation).

Michael Norman Gardner (born March 9, 1967)[2] is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for Tabor College, a position he held from 2004 to 2005 and resumed in 2010. Gardner served as the head football coach at Malone University in Canton, Ohio from 2006 to 2009. He was chosen to replace Mike Gottsch after Tabor's winless 2009 season.[3] Gardner's teams achieved postseason play in each of his first five years as a head coach at the college level—the first two years qualifying for the NAIA Football National Championship playoffs and the next three years appearing in the Victory Bowl.

Mike Gardner
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamTabor
ConferenceKCAC
Record110–73
Biographical details
Born (1967-03-09) March 9, 1967 (age 57)
Roeland Park, Kansas, U.S.
Playing career
1986–1990Baker
Position(s)Kicker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–1993Hastings (ST/RC)
1993–1996Bethel (KS) (QB/TE/WR)
1996–1999Lindenwood (ST)
2000Lindenwood (DC)
2001–2003Tabor (DC)
2004–2005Tabor
2006–2009Malone
2010–presentTabor
Head coaching record
Overall135–91
Bowls1–2
Tournaments3–5 (NAIA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
5 KCAC (2004–2005, 2015–2017)
Awards
KCAC Coach of the Year [1] (2004, 2005, 2012, 2015)
AFCA NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year (2003)
AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year (2003)

Playing career

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Gardner played college football at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas from 1986 to 1990, where he held a school record 53-yard field goal that was broken in 2007. He was an All-American each of his last three years at Baker.[4]

Coaching career

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Assistant coaching

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Gardner began in coaching as special teams and recruiting coordinator at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska from 1990 to 1993. He later held assistant coaching positions at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, and Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.

Tabor

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In 2004, he became the head football coach at Tabor College. During his time at Tabor his teams won two conference championships and advanced to the national playoffs.

Malone

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Gardner was named head football coach at Malone College in 2006. His team at Malone began the 2008 season ranked No. 24 in the NAIA preseason poll.[5] Following the lackluster 4-6 2009 season at Malone, Gardner resigned to clear the way for his return to Tabor. He stated “I wasn’t looking for an opportunity to go by any means,” Gardner said. “This just presented itself."[6]

Gardner was the fifth football coach in Malone's history, and his coaching record at Malone was 25–18.[7][8]

Tabor

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Gardner returned to Tabor in 2010 season and led the team to a record of 4–6, finishing sixth in the conference. Counting his previous two years coaching at Tabor, he is now the winningest coach in the history of the program.[9] Gardner continued success at Tabor, taking his team to the NAIA quarterfinals in the 2015 season and again earning conference Coach of the Year honors. As of 2015, Gardner has been named Coach of the Year in the conference for four of his eight years at Tabor.[10]

Awards

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Gardner served as the defensive coordinator at Tabor from 2001 to 2003 and helped guide the Bluejays to their first-ever NAIA national playoff appearance in 2003 and a No. 15 NAIA national ranking. He was named the AFCA NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year and the AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2003 season. His 2003 defense ranked 11th in the final NAIA statistics while his 2002 team ranked an impressive second overall. In 2005, Gardner was named Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference "Co-Coach" of the year along with Saint Mary coach Lance Hinson.[11] He earned the honor again after the 2012 campaign, this time holding the award as sole recipient.[12]

As a player, Gardner was a three-time NAIA All-American and a four-time All-Conference selection while at Baker University (KS) and he played for a national championship in 1986. He has been involved in 10 national playoff games as a player and eight as a coach and his 2005 Tabor squad won its first-round playoff contest.

Personal life

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Gardner is a 1990 graduate of Baker University with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He later earned a Master of Arts in teaching at Hastings College in 1993. Gardner and his wife have two children and live in Hillsboro. He played junior high and high school football at Olathe South High School and Indian Trail Middle School in Olathe, Kansas plus his seventh grade year at Concordia Junior-Senior High School in Concordia, Kansas.

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs NAIA#
Tabor Bluejays (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (2004–2005)
2004 Tabor 9–2 8–1 1st L NAIA First Round 11[13]
2005 Tabor 11–1 9–0 1st L NAIA Quarterfinal 6[14]
Malone Pioneers (Mid-States Football Association) (2006–2009)
2006 Malone 7–4 4–2 T–2nd (MEL) L Victory[15] 19[16]
2007 Malone 8–4 4–3 4th (MEL) W Victory[17] 22[18]
2008 Malone 6–4 4–2 T–2nd (MEL) L Victory 25[19]
2009 Malone 4–6 2–5 6th (MEL)
Malone: 25–18 14–12
Tabor Bluejays (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (2010–present)
2010 Tabor 4–6 4–5 6th
2011 Tabor 3–7 2–7 8th
2012 Tabor 8–2 7–1 2nd 17[20]
2013 Tabor 10–3 7–2 2nd L NAIA Quarterfinal 11[21]
2014 Tabor 7–4 5–4 T–4th 24
2015 Tabor 11–2 9–0 1st L NAIA Quarterfinal 8
2016 Tabor 8–3 8–1 1st L NAIA First Round 12
2017 Tabor 8–2 8–1 T–1st 17
2018 Tabor 6–4 6–4 4th
2019 Tabor 6–5 5–5 T–5th
2020–21 Tabor 3–7 1–6 T–7th
2021 Tabor 3–8 2–8 9th
2022 Tabor 6–5 5–5 T–5th
2023 Tabor 3–8 2–4 T–4th (Bissell)
2024 Tabor 4–4 2–0 (Bissell)
Tabor: 110–73 90–54
Total: 135–91
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ "KCAC Coach of the Year". KCACSports.com. November 21, 2005.
  2. ^ Dannelly, Jason (December 1, 2009). "Gardner; Back to Tabor". Victory Sports Network. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009.
  3. ^ "Malone football coach quits to return to Tabor". USA Today. December 12, 2009.
  4. ^ American Football Monthly - Rodeo Circuit - February 2004
  5. ^ "NAIA Pre-Season Rankings". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
  6. ^ Malone Football Coach Returns Home
  7. ^ "Malone Resignation Announcement". Malone Pioneers. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  8. ^ DeLassus, David. "Malone Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011.
  9. ^ Kleinsasser, Joe (November 23, 2010). "Mike Gardner shows why he's TC's winningest coach". Hillsboro Free Press. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  10. ^ "2015 KCAC Football All-Conference Teams Announced". Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. November 17, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  11. ^ KCAC Sports "2005 Football All-Conference Selections" November 21, 2005
  12. ^ "2012 KCAC Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Award Winners". KCACSports.com. November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  13. ^ "2005 Football Postseason Football Ratings". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
  14. ^ Malone College : Head Coach Archived 2007-08-24 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Malone Game by Game Results". Archived from the original on November 10, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
  16. ^ 2006 NAIA Football Postseason Final Rating :: Sioux Falls (S.D.) Claims No. 1 After Win in Title Game
  17. ^ Malone College : 2007 Schedule/Results Archived October 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ 2007 NAIA Football Top 25 Coaches' Poll Announced - #10 :: Final regular season poll has Sioux Falls (S.D.) at No. 1 for 11th straight week
  19. ^ [1] Archived 2008-12-19 at the Wayback Machine Football Top 25 Coaches’ Poll – Final Regular Season (November 16, 2008)
  20. ^ "Top 25 - Final". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 11, 2012.
  21. ^ "Top 25 - Final". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 17, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
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