SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Athletics has declared Saturday, Oct. 26 Coach Courtney Meyer Day in conjunction with Bulldog Football versus Mount Marty on that date. Coach Meyer will retire from coaching football, effective at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The longest tenured head football coach in Concordia’s history, Meyer has devoted 54 years of his life as a servant leader through his vocation as football coach.
In honor of Coach Courtney Meyer, this special day is set for kickoff at 1 p.m. CST from Bulldog Stadium. All Concordia alumni, family and friends are invited to attend the game in celebration of Coach Meyer.
Meyer currently assists Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s staff while coaching the team’s specialists. Coach Meyer worked the sidelines as head coach from 1990 through 2008 before returning a year later to assist then Head Coach Vance Winter.
Said Meyer, “It’s the right time. There’s a time when you have to retire. I’m going to miss it. I’m really going to miss it. Patrick said, ‘Coach, you can come by whenever you want.’ I said, ‘I will probably take you up on it.’ I’m the one who’s been really blessed by being here. My wife Connie and I have been blessed immeasurably by what has taken place here.”
Added Meyer of his philosophy on running a football program, “We wanted to win on the scoreboard, but it was more important to emphasize the spiritual component and for the program to make a difference in your faith life. That hasn’t changed.”
Daberkow played for Meyer during the 2003 through 2006 seasons and considers Coach Meyer to be among the most influential mentors in his life. Said Daberkow, “The most impressive thing I can tell you about Coach Meyer is that he’s a man of prayer. He reminds me often that he prays for me every day. If you have someone like that in your corner, you’re a blessed person. Of all the things that I’ve taken from Coach Meyer over the years, he’s famous for having an incredibly positive outlook on everything. That’s not manufactured. He lives that out. I feel privileged to know him as well as I do.”
Said Director of Athletics Devin Smith, “Coach Meyer epitomizes all that is great about Bulldog Athletics! He is completely invested in Concordia University, Nebraska and the students and staff who have built this place up over the years. He stands tall through the toughest of times while joyfully and humbly celebrating when each of us thrives. Most importantly, Coach Meyer is a servant leader and a strong Christian mentor who authentically shares his humor and wisdom while consistently guiding us back to acknowledge God’s blessings we have received. I love his never-ending smile, prayers of thankfulness, and the tears that flow when he reflects and graciously conveys his love and appreciation for the people he has coached, led and worked alongside within Bulldog Nation.”
The coaching career of Meyer got started at the high school level following his graduation from Concordia in 1965. He was hired by Larry Oetting as Defensive Coordinator in 1977 and filled that role until leaving to take the head coaching position at Concordia College of Mequon, Wis., in 1984. Meyer led the Falcons to two conference championships before he made his return to Seward prior to the start of the 1990 season. The highpoint of Meyer’s head coaching tenure came in 2001 when he led the Bulldogs (10-2 overall record) to a GPAC championship and first ever NAIA playoff appearance. Meyer spent 19 seasons as the program’s head coach.
Beyond the results on the field, Meyer was the visionary behind the Concordia Football reunion that took place in 2016. He was also heavily involved in the implementation of the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame, the Bulldog Golf Classic and the stadium renovation project that was completed prior to the start of the 1996 football season.
Courtney and his wife Connie have two sons, Caleb and Josh, and a daughter, Anna. Courtney and Connie have four grandchildren: Elliot, Blair, Junia and Peter.