ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Tyler Fenwick, who previously served as the offensive coordinator at Missouri Western State University from 2007-2012, has been named the university's head football coach, Director of Athletics Andy Carter announced today.
A press conference will be held at the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. to formally welcome Fenwick, the seventh head football coach in Missouri Western history.
"Coach Fenwick rose to the top of an exceptional field of candidates for this position," said Carter. "He has produced winning teams at every stop, and was a part of six postseason teams in his six seasons here at Missouri Western. We are excited to welcome Coach Fenwick back home."
During Fenwick's previous stint at Missouri Western, Fenwick helped lead the Griffons to the postseason in each of the six seasons that he was on staff, including an appearance in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals in 2012.
"My family and I are extremely excited for the opportunity to come back to St. Joseph and Missouri Western where we had so many great memories," said Fenwick. "I am looking forward to meeting the team and getting to work."
Fenwick spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Great American Conference (GAC) member Southeastern Oklahoma State University, taking a team that posted a 1-10 record in his first season to 9-3 in his second season – the biggest turnaround in all of Division II. The Savage Storm recorded a pair of postseason appearances in his tenure in Durant, appearing both times in the Live United Bowl against Emporia State.
The 2021 Great American Conference Coach of the Year, Fenwick mentored 28 all-GAC selections, including GAC Defensive Player of the Year and all-America selection Maalik Hall. Prior to Southeastern, Fenwick served a six-year stint at Missouri S&T where he posted a 37-29 record overall, including a 10-2 mark in 2018 which included winning Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Coach of the Year honors as well as being named the Don Hansen Super Region 3 Coach of the Year.
That 2018 season ended on a six-game winning streak, including a 51-16 victory over Minnesota State-Moorhead in the Mineral Water Bowl. That win was the first postseason victory for Missouri S&T in 68 seasons.
He departed the Miners program third in career victories after seeing his program tie or break 26 individual or team records over six seasons. A total of 79 Miners earned All-GLVC recognition during Fenwick's tenure, including 31 first team selections. Six of them would go on to earn All-American honors across various organizations, while in the classroom his student-athletes have added six College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America awards over the same span.
During the six years Fenwick spent as offensive coordinator at Missouri Western, the Griffons averaged 432.8 points per season and 35.1 points per game. As a team, the Griffons went 53-18 and played in the NCAA Division II playoffs three times as well as making three bowl appearances.
Fenwick spent the 2006 season as the offensive coordinator at Minnesota State-Moorhead where he guided an offensive unit that improved its yardage totals by 65 percent from the previous year, as the Dragons won four of their last five games to finish with a 6-5 record.
Prior to that, he spent five years on the staff at Occidental College in California – the last four as offensive coordinator.
At Occidental, he was the wide receivers coach during the 2001 season as the Tigers went 8-1 and won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship, then moved into the offensive coordinator role the following season. Over the four years guiding the offense, Occidental had a 33-9 record, won two SCIAC titles and made two appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, winning twice in the 2004 tournament. During those five years, he coached four all-conference quarterbacks and twice had the conference's Offensive Player of the Year.
He began his coaching career at the high school level at Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa, Calif., as the program's offensive coordinator, helping guide the team to a conference championship and playoff appearance as it finished with a 10-2 record.
Fenwick is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., and graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory High School. He attended Los Angeles Valley College and the University of New Mexico, where he earned his bachelor's degree in university studies in 1999. A two-year letterman for the Lobos as a wide receiver, he caught 14 passes during the two years in which he played at UNM.
Fenwick and his wife, Angela, have three children, daughter Kyleigha and sons Kayden and Kiptyn. His father, Jim, was a highly successful coach at the junior college and four-year levels in California and has been inducted into three separate Halls of Fame.
