Jim Christopherson

James Monroe Christopherson (born February 17, 1938) was an American football player and coach. He played professional football for the Minnesota Vikings in 1962 and was the head coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota from 1969 to 2000. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in July 2007. He has a wife (Sandra (Sandy) Christopherson) and two children: Reid Christopherson & Heather Teigen. Reid, his wife April, and their four children reside in Colorado Springs, CO. Heather has a husband, Troy, and three children living with her at home in Lake Park, Minnesota. Christopherson coached the Cobbers for 32 seasons from 1969-2000. During that time he amassed a 218-101-7 record. He helped guide the Cobbers to NAIA national championships in 1978 and 1981 and won 11 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) titles during his tenure. When Christopherson retired in 2000 he was third in wins among active NCAA Division III coaches. He was also fifth in winning percentage among active Division III coaches with more than 15 years of experience and 16th in winning percentage among all active Division III coaches. He was also among an elite group of coaches who have coached for over 30 years at the same school. Christopherson, who played for the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons, is the first player or coach from Concordia to receive the college game's highest honor. He became only the second player or coach from the MIAC to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. During his tenure at Concordia, Christopherson guided 16 players to All-American honors. He also produced over 120 athletes that were named to the MIAC All-Conference Team, including Barry Bennett, Sr. and Barry Bennett, Jr. As a player for the Cobbers, Christopherson was the team captain in 1959 and was named the MIAC Most Valuable Player during that season. In addition to coaching football, Jim also taught sailing at Concordia.