VALLEY CITY (VCSU) When the final horn sounded Saturday in Madison, S.D., it signaled not only a dominant win for the Valley City State football team but also a milestone win for head coach Dennis McCulloch.
VCSU’s 41-22 win over No. 19-ranked Dakota State University was the 117th win in McCulloch’s Viking career, making him the all-time winningest coach in program history. The victory moved him past legendary VCSU coach Jim Dew who compiled a 116-65-2 record from 1974 to 1993.
“The end zone celebration was a little sweeter on Saturday for a lot of reasons,” said McCulloch. “Our guys went out and played their best game of the year against a very good Dakota State team and to be able to celebrate the record with a bunch of guys that mean a lot to me was very special. Reaching a milestone like this takes more than just one guy. I’ve been blessed with a lot of great coaches, players and alumni who have helped support this program. This gives me another chance to say ‘thank you’ to all the players, coaches & alumni that have been involved with our program and helped us through the years.”
In McCulloch’s 20th season VCSU is now 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the North Star Athletic Association – keeping the Vikings in the hunt for the program’s 30th conference championship, six of which have come during McCulloch’s tenure.
He also has six conference Coach of the Year awards and has guided the Vikings to four NAIA Playoffs appearances. In McCulloch’s tenure as head coach, 15 Vikings have earned NAIA All-American honors, several dozen have been named All-Conference and 50 have earned Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. The Vikings have compiled a 117-83 record under McCulloch’s leadership.
While those numbers are impressive, perhaps what’s most impressive are the numbers 23 and 20 – 23 years on the VCSU coaching staff and 20 years as head coach. In today’s coaching world it’s a rarity to see a coach have consistent success but remain in one place – a small NAIA school – for more than two decades. He’s also had great coaching continuity with linebackers coach Dave Rausch in his 30th season and assistant head coach Gregg Horner in his 23rd season.
“They deserve special recognition – Coach Horner and Coach Rausch have been a part of all 117 wins, and they’re a big part of our success,” said McCulloch.
Between Dew, Steve LeGrand and McCulloch, Viking football has needed just three head coaches since 1974 – a span of 43 seasons. During that time the Vikings have excelled with a 250-161-2 record (.606 winning percentage), 15 conference championships and eight national playoff appearances.
“Coach Dew truly established the foundation of Viking Football and allowed us to continue to build a strong program,” said McCulloch. “When you look back at the things that he did with very limited resources, and still found a way to develop a tradition of winning, it is hard to compare my success with his.”
VCSU assistant head coach Gregg Horner also played for Jim Dew, giving him great perspective on Saturday’s big milestone.
“I’m honored to have played for Coach Dew and worked for Coach Mac,” said Horner. “Both men have some of the same characteristics that have allowed them to win. They have tremendous football IQ, but it has always been clear that they care more about the people around them than the X’s and O’s.
“I think very few people really understand all that Coach Mac has done to keep this program competing at a high level,” Horner added. “Coaches are judged by what happens on Saturday afternoons but what Mac has done for Valley City and VCSU is so much more than that. I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
McCulloch’s 117 wins rank him 10th on the active list of all-time winningest NAIA coaches.
A native of Milbank, S.D., McCulloch received his Bachelor’s Degree from Northern State and went on to receive his Master of Science Degree from NSU in 1989. In McCulloch’s time at Northern State, he developed a diverse background of experience while coaching linebackers, defensive line, defensive backs and working as the recruiting coordinator.
In 1993, McCulloch became the head football coach at Frazee (Minn.) High School before coming to VCSU as the defensive coordinator in 1994. Horner and McCulloch both joined the Viking staff as assistants in 1994 under head coach Steve LeGrand. When LeGrand stepped down in 1996, McCulloch took over as head coach and Horner took over as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
