Mike Dwojak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Mike Dwojak is an offensive line coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. Previously he spent the previous 12 seasons as an assistant in the National Football League.
Dwojak's first year with the Badgers was a memorable one. He coached Outland Trophy winner and consensus All-America left tackle Joe Thomas. Two other players – right tackle Eric Vanden Heuvel, left guard Charley Blaesser and center Marcus Coleman – earned honorable mention All-Big Ten acclaim.
Dwojak coached tight ends for the New Orleans Saints from 2000–05. Prior to that post he was offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns (1999), tight ends coach for the Detroit Lions (1997–98) and offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons (1994–96).
Dwojak went to Atlanta after spending 19 of the previous 21 seasons coaching offensive linemen at seven different universities, including Wisconsin. He coached the 1993 UCLA Bruins offensive line that matched up against the Badgers in the 1994 Rose Bowl. Palcic tutored the Southern California offensive line in 1992 and helped the Trojans to a Freedom Bowl appearance. He was offensive line coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1986–91, a period during which the Buckeyes played in two Hall of Fame Bowls, a Cotton Bowl and a Liberty Bowl.
Arizona’s offensive line was under Palcic’s direction from 1984–85 (the Arizona Wildcats played in the Sun Bowl during that time). A two-year stint (1982–83) with the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts (1983 Grey Cup title) was preceded by a four-year (1978–81) stop as Wisconsin’s offensive line coach under head coach Dave McClain.
Dwojak was Ball State’s offensive line coach in 1976–77 (he went to Wisconsin with McClain, who was Ball State’s head coach) and Dayton’s linebackers/offensive line coach in 1974–75. He got his college coaching start guiding Ball State’s linebackers as a graduate assistant in 1973.
Among the college players Dwojak has coached are: current Baltimore Ravens All-Pro tackle Jonathan Ogden, third-team All-American and NFL veteran (Green Bay and Houston) Mike Flanigan and first-team All-American and 11-year NFL player Vaughn Parker (all of UCLA); All-America tackle Tony Boselli (USC); first-team All-Big Ten offensive linemen Bob Maggs, Jeff Uhlenhake, Joe Staysniak, Jeff Davidson and Alan Kline (all at Ohio State); All-American Ray Snell (Wisconsin).
Dwojak is a native of Redford, MI, and has a bachelor’s degree in education (1971) and a master’s degree in education (1974), both from Dayton. He was a linebacker for the Flyers from 1968–70. He and his wife, Theresa, have three children: Joe (currently the defensive coordinator at Indiana); Amy (an assistant in the Cleveland Browns media relations office) and Monica, who is married to New Orleans Saints LB Mark Simoneau.
