Carroll College Men's Football

Troy Purcell became the 21st football coach at Carroll College on Dec. 7, 2018.  Last Season: 2025- The Fighting Saints made a return to the postseason for the first time since 2022, following an 8-2 (5-1) runner-up regular season in the newly-minted Frontier Conference - West division. The postseason appearance marked the third trip to the dance for Purcell, and he became just the third coach in Carroll history to win an NAIA Football Championship Series game following a 42-35 victory over (17) St. Thomas. The First Round win was the first Carroll postseason home game - and victory - since the 2014 season. The Saints were well represented on the postseason honors. Braeden Orlandi was named Frontier - West Defensive Player of the Year, leading the nation in tackles (136). Seven Saints were named First Team All-Conference (Andrew Devine, Wyatt Sandford, Carson Ochoa, Chris Akulschin, Forrest Suero, Brett Tommasini, Braeden Orlandi), four were Second Team Honorees (Kaden Huot, Denavion Ali, Eli Aby, Gunner Giulio), and a pair were Honorable Mention (Henry Gross, Connor Sullivan). Tight end Carson Ochoa was a unanimous First Team All-American, earning the honor from the AFCA, AP, and VSN, while Braeden Orlandi was named Second Team AFCA All-American, as well as First Team honors from both the AP and VSN. 2024- Purcell and the Saints wrapped up another 7-3 regular season, finishing tied for second in the Frontier Conference standings and receiving votes in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll. The 2024 Saints posted a pair of back to back shutouts against Simpson and Arizona Christian, as well as back to back Top-12 wins over College of Idaho and Southern Oregon late in the season. The Saints had one of the nation's top defensive units, led by Frontier Defensive Player of the Year Hunter Peck - DL. In total, 10 Fighting Saints were recognized as All-Conference selections with Peck, Carson Ochoa - TE, Cameron Pruitt - LB, and Braeden Orlandi - DB garnering First Team selections, Chris Akulschin - WR, Garrett Worden - DL, Forrest Suero - DL, and Brett Tommasini - LB named Second Team, and Jack Prka - QB & Eli Aby - LB earning Honorable Mention. 31 players earned NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete honors, the most in the Frontier Conference. Hunter Peck earned AFCA NAIA and VSN First Team All-American, as well as Second Team AP All-American honors, while Carson Ochoa was named Second Team AP & Third Team VSN All-American.  2023- Purcell's Fighting Saints finished the season 7-3, with a final national ranking of No. 24 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll. The early stages of the season provided plenty of fireworks, with Carroll earning multiple come-from-behind victories in the waning moments of games, as well as wins over ranked Montana Tech, St. Thomas, and receiving votes Rocky Mountain College. Multiple players earned Frontier Conference Player of the Week honors, and QB Jack Prka earned NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week honors following his single-game program record for passing yards in the win over Rocky (407 yds). Carroll marched to their highest national ranking in over eight years, No. 6, in October. Seven players earned All-Frontier Conference honors, with 54 players earning Academic-All Conference honors. LT Hunter Mecham was named Second Team NAIA AFCA All-American, and Third Team VSN All-American. 2022- Coach Purcell led the Fighting Saints to the program's 45th conference championship. The 2022 Fighting Saints won their final five games of the regular season, culminating with a 21-6 win over College of Idaho to secure a share of the Frontier title, and the conference auto-bid to the NAIA Football Championship Series. Carroll finished the season as the No. 16 ranked team in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll. The Saints were a 15 seed in the postseason tournament, and squared off with No. 2 Grand View in the opening round, ultimately falling 14-17 to end their season. Purcell was named the 2022 Frontier Conference Coach of the Year, and was also named the AFCA NAIA Region 5 Coach of the year. Purcell's 2022 team had 27 players named Daktronics Scholar-Athletes, 10 players named All-Conference, a Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year, two players named both NAIA All-American and AP All-American, and one player win the 2022 NAIA Rimington Award. 2021- Coach Purcell and the the Saints won five of their final six games of the year, finishing the season with a 6-4 record. Purcell's Saints had nine players selected as All-Frontier Conference performers. Center Andrew Carter was named Second Team NAIA All-American, and First Team AP All-American.  2020- Coach Purcell and the Carroll Football program came into the 2020 season with a lot of excitement and great expectations after a successful 2019 campaign. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Frontier Conference football schedule was pushed to the spring of 2021. That didn't stop the Saints from taking advantage of the opportunity. Coach Purcell helped lead Carroll to their first Frontier Conference Championship and NAIA Playoff appearance since 2014 after posting a 3-1 regular season record in a condensed spring schedule. The season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs after a loss to No. 1 Morningside (Iowa). Twelve players made it onto the all-conference teams, Alex Hoffman was selected as an AFCA First Team All-American, and Matthew Burgess received honorable mention NAIA All-American honors. 2019- In his first season coaching the Fighting Saints, Purcell led the Purple and Gold to a 6-4 record. The Saints finished the season ranked No. 25 in the NAIA. He coached honorable mention All-American wide receiver Shane Sipes and CoSIDA Academic All-American Alex Hoffman. Eleven players were named all-conference in Purcell's first season. Forty Fighting Saints football players became academic all-conference selections. Purcell came to the helm with the Saints after being an assistant at the University of Idaho under Paul Petrino. Purcell coached in multiple roles, beginning by coaching the inside linebackers, then tight ends and finally becoming the team's special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.  With Purcell on the sidelines, the Vandals won the 2016 Idaho Famous Potato Bowl.  Success has followed Purcell throughout his football career.  As the head coach of the Bozeman Hawks from 2005-2016, Purcell guided the Hawks to three Class AA state championships in 2010, '13 and '15. Prior to that, the Hawks last state championship came in 1917. Under Purcell, the Hawks finished runner-up another season, earned three divisional championships and advanced to the quarterfinals three times.  Purcell became a five-time Montana High School AA Coach of the Year in Bozeman and head-coached in two East-West Shrine games. He served as the head coach in the Mon-Dak All-Star game once.   Purcell coached current Seattle Seahawk Will Dissly and current San Francisco 49er Brock Coyle while they prepped in Bozeman.  Prior to that, Purcell coached the Blue Ponies of Havre High School to a run of success. At Havre, Purcell posted a 40-13 record and also broke a championship drought with a title in 2004. Havre's last championship prior to that came in 1970. The Blue Ponies made four playoff appearances and twice went to the semifinals, with two Central championships as well as a state runner-up finish under Purcell. He became the Montana High School Class A Coach of the Year, as well as being named twice as the Central Conference Coach of the Year. While leading the Havre, he coached in the East-West Shrine Game as the head coach and in the Mon-Dak All-Star Game.  Among the standouts he coached in Havre included NFL Pro Bowler Marc Mariani and Saints championship quarterback Gary Wagner.  He started his Montana coaching career in Eureka for Lincoln County High in 1994, serving as the Lions' head coach until 1999. There he went 32-23, won three District 6 championships and made the playoffs six times. He cracked into coaching in 1991 at Regis High in Stayton, Oregon. He posted a 22-9 record there and won two Tri-River Conference championships while once being named the Tri-River Coach of the Year.  Purcell prepped at Capital High, playing football for the Bruins, becoming an All-State selection in 1985 and all-conference in 1984 and '85.   He becomes the 21st football coach in Carroll history.  Purcell and his wife, Krista, have one daughter, Brooklyn. Purcell received a degree in elementary education and health enhancement from Carroll College in 1990. He obtained a master's degree in learning development from Montana State-Northern in 2010. BY THE NUMBERS Seasons: 7 Record: 46-22 Overall Collegiate Record: 46-22 Carroll Year-By-Year 2019: 6-4 20-21: 3-2 (Frontier Conference Co-Champions) 2021: 6-4 2022: 8-3 (Frontier Conference Co-Champions) 2023: 7-3 2024: 7-3 2025: 9-3  

Hogan has coached twelve 1st Team All-Conference players over the past ten seasons. Two seasons ago, coach Hogan was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association as the Assistant Coach of the Year for NAIA. Hogan oversees the Saints strength and conditioning program and was named Samsons National Strength Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season.  Under Coach Hogan two of his players, Kyle Baker (2005) and Andy Fjeseth (2010) received the prestigious Dave Rimingtion Award which goes the outstanding center in the nation. Before coming to Carroll, Hogan was the head coach for football, wrestling, and track at Billings Central High School. His 1999 track team won the Class A State Championship. In addition to his eight years of coaching in Billings, Hogans career has included stops in Gillette, WY and as an assistant for Western Montana College. Hogan is originially from Lacey,WA and graduated from the University of Montana where he played for Coach Van Diest in 1980. He and his wife Barb have four children: Anthony, Adam, James, and Brittany, who will be a entering her freshman year at Carroll and is a member of the Softball Team.

Alex Pfannenstiel joined the Carroll coaching staff in 2016, and currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator as well as recruiting Coordinator. Prior to his time at Carroll, he was the offensive line coach at Lindenwood University (Mo.) from 2013-15. He coached four all-conference players during his tenure. Prior to entering the college ranks he was a defensive line coach at Capital High School from 2010-12. He is a 2010 graduate of Carroll with a degree in history in political science for secondary education. He was a member of the 2005 and 2007 national championship teams. He was a team captain in 2009 and was twice selected to the Frontier All-Conference First-Team. He was a Victory Sports Network Second-Team All-American during 2009. He is originally from Portland, Oregon and a 2005 graduate at Central Catholic High School and has two brothers, Austin and Aidan.

Joe Dunning was hired as Carroll College Defensive Coordinator in February of 2025. Dunning, a native of Billings, Mont. And 2013 Carroll graduate, returns to his alma mater after ten years coaching at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels. No stranger to success in his playing days, Dunning was a two-time All-Frontier selection (’11, ’12), a contributor on the 2010 team that captured the program’s last NAIA National Championship, and finished his career with 177 tackles, 19 TFL, six sacks, and a pair of interceptions. Dunning joins the Carroll staff after a seven-year stint as the Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach at Rocky Mountain College. Throughout his tenure at Rocky, the Battlin’ Bears produced 22 All-Conference selections, as well as a trio of All-Americans. In 2021, Dunning and the Bears were Frontier Conference co-champions, and in 2022 & 2023 his defense finished Top-20 in the NAIA in scoring. Prior to his time at Rocky, Dunning was a GA at Montana State, working with both the Offensive and Defensive lines from 2016-18. In 2018, Dunning and the Bobcats advanced to the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Dunning began his coaching journey right here in Helena, assisting with both the Defensive Backs and Outside Linebackers at Carroll from 2013-15. Twice, the Saints won the Frontier Conference championship, advancing to both the Quarterfinals and Semifinals of the NAIA Football Championship Series, while Dunning coached six All-Frontier DB’s and a pair of NAIA All-Americans.  

Mason's coaching career follows an outstanding career as a defensive tackle at Carroll.  In 2010 Mason was named 1st Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-America and was a co-captain as well. Siddick was a two-year starter for the Saints at nose guard before graduating with a degree in communications from Carroll in 2010. 

Alex Land was hired to be the Offensive Line Coach at Carroll in March of 2025. He spent one season as the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator at Mary (N.D.) prior to his arrival on the Hilltop. In 2024, Land oversaw the Tight Ends, Running Backs, and run game at Benedictine (Kan.). The Ravens were one of the top teams in the NAIA that season, advancing to the Football Championship Series Semifinals before ultimately falling to eventual National Runner-Up, Keiser (Fla.). Land joined the Ravens after serving as the Offensive Line and Tight ends Coach at Whitworth University from 2022 to 2023. While at Whitworth (Wash.) he guided the Offensive Line to top rankings in sacks allowed, yards per play, and points per game. He coached a total of 10 all-conference selections with one player signed to profession to the IFL. Land spent two seasons at Valparaiso University, where he was the tight ends coach in the fall of 2022 and coached the defensive ends for the 2021 season. Valparaiso’s defense led the conference in sacks and tackles for loss while finishing second in the conference in rushing yards allowed. Prior to Valparaiso, Land provided quality control for the offensive line and tight ends at UC Davis. The Aggies finished the 2021 Spring season at No. 13 in the NCAA FCS. Land has also coached the offensive line at Greensboro College (NC) and Bonneville High School (UT). An Edmond, Okla. native, Land attended college at Weber State. where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education. He was a three-year starter on the offensive line and played in every game of his four eligible years and was selected to be a team captain as a senior. Upon graduating, Land was on staff at Weber State working with the offensive line before continuing his playing career in the Arena Football League for the Cleveland Gladiators.