Gimbel Named Football Coach of the Year

Longtime Blooming Prairie football coach Chad Gimbel was named the 2019 football coach of the year by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association over the weekend. Gimbel is the Class A and overall winner. Gimbel was quick to share the honor with his fellow coaches, the team, community, and his wife, "I am the luckiest man in the world to have a loving, caring, supportive, and hard working wife. She has the tough job."

"I am very grateful and humbled," he added. "Very fortunate to have the most talented, passionate, devoted, coaching staff that works so well together. We are a very good team in itself. A great group of football players past and present that are talented, hard working, committed, and a belief they could achieve anything."

"Extremely grateful to the Blooming Prairie community and administration for their support, passion, and pride for BP football. This award is all our award because we all worked together as one, for one common goal."

The Awesome Blossoms beat BOLD 41-15 in the Class A Prep Bowl final on November 29, 2019. At the time Gimbel said, "It's amazing for the kids, the community, and the coaching staff. A long time coming but well deserved for everybody...It's awesome to be able to get up there, play on the big stage, and let everyone see what Blooming Prairie is about. Not just Blooming Prairie football, but the Blooming Prairie community, the Blooming Prairie pride."

Gimbel's comments the day after the title game included gratitude toward the many supporters, "It's unbelievable. The support this community has for Blooming Prairie football. That's one of the things I mentioned in our welcome home...There was a picture on social media showing the Blooming Prairie crowd and showing the BOLD crowd. I'm sure it was two-and-a-half to one and that's quite the compliment to our fan base. The kids can feel it. And they can feel the love."

You can back and listen to the game as Jason Iacovino and Brennen Toquam called the action on Kat Kountry 105 from US Bank Stadium. In 23 seasons, Gimbel holds a 178-65 record according to the coaches association website.

Senior linemen Colton Krell and Dylan Nirk went from US  Bank Stadium to the floor of Xcel Energy Center after navigating their way through the wrestling season. Krell won the state title, the first in BP history. Nirk also placed. Gimbel is also a coach for the Westfield wrestling team. Hayfield, BP's coop partner, has many individual state champions in its history.

Many players from the state title football team were part of the BP basketball team that earned a trip to the state tournament for the first time since 1966, only to have the tournament canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.