Mike Gardner (football coach)
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Tabor |
| Conference | KCAC |
| Record | 79–32 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
March 9, 1967 Roeland Park, Kansas |
| Playing career | |
| 1986–1990 | Baker |
| Position(s) | Kicker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1990–1993 | Hastings (ST/RC) |
| 1993–1996 | Bethel (KS) (QB/TE/WR) |
| 1996–1999 | Lindenwood (ST) |
| 2000 | Lindenwood (DC) |
| 2001–2003 | Tabor (DC) |
| 2004–2005 | Tabor |
| 2006–2009 | Malone |
| 2010–present | Tabor |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 104–50 |
| Bowls | 1–2 |
| Tournaments | 3–5 (NAIA playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 5 KCAC (2004–2005, 2015–2017) | |
| Awards | |
| KCAC Coach of the Year (2004, 2005, 2012, 2015) AFCA NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year (2003) AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year (2003) |
|
Michael Norman Gardner (born March 9, 1967) is currently the coach at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. Having left Tabor for Malone in 2006, Gardner was chosen to replace Mike Gottsch after Tabor's winless 2009 season. Gardner's teams achieved post-season play for his first five years as a head coach at the college level—the first two years qualifying for the NAIA playoffs and the next three years to the Victory Bowl.
Gardner began in coaching as Special Teams and Recruiting Coordinator at Hastings College from 1990 to 1993. He later held assistant coaching positions at Bethel College (Kansas), Lindenwood University, and Tabor College.
In 2004, he became the head coach at Tabor College and held that position until 2006. During his time at Tabor his teams won two conference championships and advanced to the national playoffs.
Gardner was named head coach at Malone College following the 2006 season. His team at Malone began the 2008 season ranked #24 in the NAIA pre-season poll. Following the lackluster 4-6 2009 season at Malone, Gardner resigned to clear the way for his return to Tabor. He stated “I wasn’t looking for an opportunity to go by any means,” Gardner said. “This just presented itself."
Gardner was the fifth football coach in Malone's history, and his coaching record at Malone was 25–18.
Gardner returned to Tabor starting with the 2010 season and led the team to a record of 4 wins and six losses, finishing sixth in the conference. Counting his previous two years coaching at Tabor, he is now the winningest coach in the history of the program. Gardner continued success at Tabor, taking his team to the NAIA quarterfinals in the 2015 season and again earning conference Coach of the Year honors. As of 2015, Gardner has been named Coach of the Year in the conference for four of his eight years at Tabor.
Gardner played college football for NAIA school Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas from 1986 to 1990, where he held a school record 53 yard field goal that was broken in 2007. He was an All-American each of his last three years at Baker
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