Jake Christiansen
Jake Christiansen (b.1900 - d.1992)
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Athletic Director 1941-1969
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Football Coach 1941-1969
Biography
Nicknamed the “Sly Fox” for his cunning plays, Jake Christiansen led Concordia’s football team to its first undefeated season just one year after beginning his coaching duties. Christiansen was born in Marinette, WI and grew up in Northfield, MN where his father, F. Melius Christiansen, was conductor of the St. Olaf College Choir.
A standout athlete in college, Christiansen graduated from St. Olaf in 1924 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He later earned a master’s degree in education and counseling from North Dakota State University. Before coming to Concordia in 1941, he was the Athletic Director and coach at Valparaiso University in Indiana for 12 years. In his 28 years at Concordia, Christiansen’s football team recorded an impressive 197 wins.
Christiansen also founded the Concordia Coaching Clinic, which was one of the largest and most respected in the nation. In the fall of 1964, Christiansen was named MIAC Coach of the Year, NAIA Coach of the Year, and inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. That same year the construction of a new football stadium was announced. After its completion in 1966, it was dedicated as the “Jake Christiansen Stadium.” Christiansen was inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986 and Valparaiso followed suit in 1999.