Judson University’s Football program has made changes in its leadership as Dan Paplaczyk has been promoted from Associate Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator to Head Coach. Longtime collegiate and high school football coach Jamie Herrick joins the staff as Executive Director of Football Operations & Defensive Coordinator. This change occurs after the resignation of previous Head Coach Brandon New, who will assume a new role with the team.
“I am very pleased about this next phase in the leadership of our new football program. With Dan Paplaczyk serving as the Head Coach and overseeing football strategy as well as game and practice management and Jamie Herrick as our Executive Director of Football Operations and Defensive Coordinator we have very strong leadership for our coaching staff,” said Judson President Gene Crume. “Jamie brings experience as a college coach and Dan’s football acumen is outstanding. They will make an excellent team, and our program will benefit from the positive culture they have and will continue to create.”
Paplaczyk has a vast range of football coaching experience in the Chicagoland area. Prior to joining the Judson staff, he was the Head Coach at Taft High School in Chicago for the 2015 season. Paplaczyk also served on state championship staff at Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison, Ill. He was the Assistant Defensive Coordinator during the 2004 season when the Highlanders went 12-2 and won the state title. He returned to the staff as the Offensive Coordinator & Wide Receivers Coach during the 2008 season.
“It is honestly a dream come true and I feel blessed to have the opportunity,” said Paplaczyk. “Being a college head football coach is my dream job. It is an opportunity of a lifetime, especially getting to have such a responsibility on the ground floor of starting the program.”
Paplaczyk also has numerous experiences as an assistant coach as he served as the Offensive Coordinator at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Ill., for the 2016 season. From 2012-2014, he was at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill., as its Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach. In 2005, Paplaczyk was the Assistant Offensive Coordinator & Wide Receivers Coach at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill. Paplaczyk also owns and operates FootballXOS.com, a website for football enthusiasts that features articles and playbooks. Paplaczyk earned his degree in Computer Science from Lewis University in 2019.
“I am looking forward to being able to build a program that will become a cornerstone of Judson University,” he said. “We have a unique opportunity to set the foundation for every team that will come after us. This program will be used to help shape the lives of our student-athletes and give them tools to be successful in their lives.”
Herrick joins Judson’s staff bringing 20 years of high school and college football and strength and conditioning coaching experience in the Midwest. His college football coaching career includes time coaching Defensive Line, Linebackers, and Special Teams at University of Wisconsin – River Falls, South Dakota State University, and Iowa Wesleyan University. In 2015, he served as Defensive Line Coach at Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minn., where the Yellow Jackets finished as the national runner up.
“This is a unique opportunity to continue to coach and work with young athletes as we build a program [at Judson],” said Herrick. “My goal is to empower young coaches to follow the coaching path wherever it may take them. This also coincides with guiding the players as they work towards their dreams of competing in college football and maximizing their talents. I am honored to be a guide and mentor for them as they grow academically, spiritually, and socially.”
Herrick also has eight years coaching high school football in Minnesota as a Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Line Coach and Special Teams. In addition to his football coaching resume, Herrick, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS), brings over 20 years of strength and conditioning experience to his role with the Eagles. Herrick earned his bachelor’s degree in Broad Area Social Studies from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls in 1999 and his master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2001.
