STEPHENVILLE ? Tarleton assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator, Darian Dulin, has resigned to take the head coaches job at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan.

Dulin, who has spent seven years on the staff, played a major role in the Tarleton football program, and head coach Sam McElroy said Dulin will be greatly missed.

“Darian has been here a lot of years, and it will certainly be hard to see him go,” McElroy said. “He has worked hard to earn a head coaching position, and I know he will do a very good job. I will miss his friendship and his excellence as our recruiting coordinator and our defensive coordinator, but I know he will do well in the role of head coach.”

Returning to his home state of Kansas for the second time as a coach, Dulin is ready for his next challenge.

“This is an exciting new opportunity that allows me the chance to get back to my home state of Kansas,” Dulin said. “This is one of the premier junior college programs in the nation for football, and I am ready to see how I can do in running my own program. Getting the opportunity to be a head coach is a very exciting chance and time for me.”

Although he will no longer be coaching for Tarleton, his love for the University will stay with the former Texan football coach.

“I had nothing but great experiences here, and I really enjoyed working with the people and players here at Tarleton,” Dulin said. “The football staff and players, and the experience here at Tarleton, really had a positive effect on my personal life and my coaching a great deal.

“I really enjoyed my time at Tarleton, and there is not a better head coach out there to work for than Coach McElroy,” Dulin said. “I will definitely miss Tarleton, the players and the staff, but I will always bleed purple.”

Dulin just completed his third straight season as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Texans.

Dulin, who spent the 2004 season as the defensive coordinator at Butler Community College, returned to the Tarleton staff last season after spending four years in Stephenville prior to his one-year hiatus.

This season, Dulin coached the only three-time Defensive Back of the Year for the Lone Star Conference South Division in safety Ranardrick Phillips. Phillips was one of five Texans on the first team All-LSC South Division team that helped the Texans be one of the top defenses in the LSC. Tarleton was No. 2 in sacks against the opponent with 29 sacks for minus-190 yards.

In the 2006 season, the Texan defense ranked No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense, allowing just 18.1 points per game. Tarleton was the No. 1 rushing defense, allowing just 90.5 yards per game.

In 2005, Tarleton was No. 2 in scoring defense and No. 1 in pass defense efficiency.

In 2004, his defense finished the regular season No. 1 in the Jayhawk Conference for total defense. Butler's defense also led the JC in scoring defense, sacks and passing efficiency defense.

With Dulin's leadership over the previous four years, the Texans' secondary has established itself as one of the better units in the Lone Star Conference.

Dulin, and his defensive backs, were big reasons that Tarleton went 9-2 in 2002 and claimed the LSC North Division title before going 8-4 in 2003 and returning to the top of the conference and the NCAA playoffs.

In 2002, defense recorded 15 interceptions and forced a total of 34 turnovers. The Texans limited opponents to only 271.2 yards of total offense per game, including an average of only 141.2 yards passing per contest.

His secondary was also a big reason Tarleton went 10-3 in 2001 to claim a share of the LSC and LSC South Division titles, advance to the Division II quarterfinals and finish with a No. 10 national ranking.

That defense tallied 20 interceptions, including 18 in the last nine games, and forced a total of 33 turnovers. The Texans limited opponents to fewer than 300 total yards in six contests.

In 2000, Dulin helped to direct a Tarleton defense that posted the school's first shutout in 10 seasons and limited opponents to less than 300 yards on four occasions.

A former Academic All-American at both the junior and senior college levels, Dulin came to Tarleton after serving two years at Sam Houston State University, first as a defensive assistant and then as secondary coach.

Prior to his coaching at SHSU, Dulin worked in 1997 as a graduate assistant coach at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan. He served as defensive back and special teams coach, while also helping with recruiting efforts and organizing the offseason strength and conditioning program.

From January to July in 1998, Dulin was a math specialist and adjunct math instructor at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kan.

Dulin finished his collegiate playing career at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., where he was named Defensive Most Valuable Player and served as defensive captain for the Moundbuilders team that earned a win in the Wheat Bowl in 1996.

Dulin was the recipient of Southwestern's Dixon Minority Full Tuition Academic Scholarship and named American Chemical Society Minority Scholar. Before going to Southwestern, Dulin achieved Academic All-America status at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., where he carried a 4.0 grade point average and was a Butler Scholar Athlete of the Year nominee.

A native of Lawrence, Kan., Darian played on three state championship teams during a string of five consecutive years that Lawrence High School won the state title.

Dulin holds bachelor's degrees in math and chemistry from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., and he earned a master's degree of education in physical education from Tarleton