Earle Solomonson

Earle Solomonson (born September 2, 1947) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at North Dakota State University from 1985 to 1986 and at Montana State University from 1987 to 1991, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 39–42–1. Solomonson won back-to-back NCAA Division II Football Championships with the North Dakota State Bison in 1985 and 1986. He played college football at Augsburg College, from which he graduated in 1969.

Solomonson began his coaching career in 1969 as an assistant at Richfield High School in Richfield, Minnesota. He was the head football coach at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1975 to 1978, leading his teams to a record of 30–7 in four seasons.^[1][2] Solomonson joined the coaching staff at North Dakota State in 1979 as defensive line coach under head coach Don Morton. He was elevated to defensive coordinator in 1984, succeeding Mike Daly, who left the program to coach at Idaho State University.^[3]