Prange served as the secondary coach with the Willamette Bearcats from 1996 to 2000 before taking over as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2001. He filled that role until 2005 when he became a coach with the Vienna Vikings (Austria). Prange spent the 2005 and 2007 seasons with the Vikings and returned to his duties with Willamette’s secondary for the 2005-07 seasons, splitting his time between Europe and the United States.

“Chris is a passionate, poised, and committed educator, and we are excited to have him joining our football program,” said Beeman. “His technical expertise and reputation for coaching athletes to their full potential within his defensive schemes bodes well for our team. Chris’ success at the Division III level, and specifically Willamette, makes him a natural fit for Hamline University.”

In his second year as secondary coach at Willamette, the Bearcats played their way into the NAIA national championship game. As defensive coordinator, his defense was in the top two statistically in the conference in 2003-04.

“Hamline’s athletic department is committed to building strong programs based on integrity and I’m looking forward to joining that effort,” said Prange. “The positive attitude and work ethic of both the staff and players attracted me to the position and I’m eager to be a part of a Piper program on the rise.”

A four-year starter with the Bearcat football program, Prange played both strong and free safety, earning first team all-conference honors in his junior and senior seasons. Prange was part of rebuilding the Bearcat program, taking them from 1-8 in his first-year campaign to winning the Northwest Conference championship in his senior season.

“I’m very excited about what Coach Prange is going to bring to our football program as our defensive coordinator,” said Hamline head football coach Jim Good. “He has worked with a lot of accomplished coaches and has had a great deal of success both as a player and a coach.”

Prange returned to be near family in his home state of Montana in 2008 and has been serving as an assistant football coach and science teacher at Big Sandy High School.

Prange earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Willamette in 1996 and is pursuing a master’s in education from Montana State University.

Creative and innovative teaching and learning attract a diverse student body of nearly 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students to Hamline University. Challenged to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts, Hamline students develop an individual and community ethic of social justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive leadership and service.

Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive master’s universities by U.S.News & World Report, Hamline is also Minnesota’s first university, founded in 1854, and among the first co-educational institutions in the nation.