Today's Ryan Gatch interview marks a big week for MSU-Northern football

ek for Montana State University-Northern, as the search for a new head football coach comes to the Northern campus.

Northern will interview four finalists this week, starting with today’s interview with former MSU-N assistant and current Lead-Deadwood High School head coach Ryan Gatch. The public forum with Gatch will take place at 4:30 inside the Hensler Auditorium on MSU-N’s campus. All four public forums this week will be at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, current Willamette University offensive coordinator Kelly Bills will interview, followed by Thursday’s interview with current Missouri Valley College offensive coordinator Aaron Christensen.

Last Friday afternoon, Northern Athletic Director Christian Oberquell announced a fourth finalist in Kyle Kramer. Kramer is currently the tight ends coach at NAIA MidAmerican Nazarene in Kansas. His professional background includes more than 10 years of high school and college coaching, backed by more than 16 years of executive level business experience.  In his current role as an NAIA Division I coach, he has become extremely familiar with the intricacies of coaching at this level. He has first-hand knowledge of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with bringing in a new head coach, from implementing a new system and garnering support in the community, to recruiting on a limited budget, fiscal planning and resource allocation, and team-building.  Kramer has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas-Dallas and a Bachelor of Political Science from the University of Oklahoma-Norman.

“We had 62 very qualified applicants for this position and I believe we have identified finalists who possess different experiences and unique qualities that make them outstanding candidates to lead the Lights football program,” Oberquell said.

After the candidates have visited campus, the search committee will compile a list of pros and cons for each candidate based on the input they receive from the evaluation forms people fill out at the meetings. Chancellor Greg Kegel and Oberquell, will review all of the information and will make the final decision. No official date has been set for naming the new coach.