Michael David Kramer (born July 25, 1954) is a former
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
coach and former player, most recently the head football coach at
Idaho State University
Idaho State University (ISU) is a Public university, public research university in Pocatello, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho, Idaho State offers more than 250 programs at its main campus in Pocatello and locations ...
of the
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is a List of NCAA conferences, collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I with college football, football competing in the Football Cha ...
. Kramer was previously the head coach at two other schools in the conference:
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University (EWU) is a public university in Cheney, Washington, United States. It shares its satellite campus in Spokane, Washington with Washington State University.
Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided in ...
(1994–1999) and
Montana State University
Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's d ...
(2000–2006). Kramer has coached teams to four Big Sky championships, one at Eastern Washington (1997), and three at Montana State (2002, 2003, and 2005). Kramer retired from his position at Idaho State on March 30, 2017.
Playing career
A native of
Colton, Washington
Colton is a town in Whitman County, Washington, Whitman County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 401 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
Colton was first settled in 1879 by J.A. Cole, and was ...
, on the
Palouse
The Palouse ( ) is a geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of North Central Idaho, north central Idaho, southeastern Washington (part of eastern Washington), and by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. ...
south of
Pullman, Kramer graduated from Colton High School in 1972 and played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at the
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963.
The un ...
in nearby
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. He was a
lineman for the
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...
for four seasons under head coaches
and
Ed Troxel
Edward Ross Troxel (November 20, 1925 – January 22, 2001) was a high school and college football coach in Colorado, Idaho, and eastern Washington. His most notable coaching stops were at Borah High School in Boise, the University of I ...
.
He started nine games at
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
as a true freshman in
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
, and seven on offense at
center as a sophomore. During his final two seasons he started at
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
for
offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) league. He was also the head coach at the University of ...
.
Kramer was named most inspirational player (
Hec Edmundson
Clarence Sinclair "Hec" Edmundson (August 3, 1886 – August 6, 1964) was an American basketball and track coach.
A native of Moscow, Idaho, and a 1910 graduate of the University of Idaho, Edmundson coached at his alma mater (1916–18) and ...
award) and the team's outstanding blocker as a senior in
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
.
He was a member of
Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta (), commonly known as Phi Gam and sometimes written as FIJI, is a North American social fraternity with 139 active chapters and 13 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania ...
fraternity
A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
,
received his bachelor's degree from UI in 1977, and later earned a master's degree from EWU.
Coaching career
Kramer began coaching in 1976 at his alma mater, Colton High, as an assistant for the 1976 season, then moved to
Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
to coach at
Helena High School, as an assistant for three years and as head coach for another three. He moved up to the college level at Montana State in 1983, coaching the defensive line under head coach
Dave Arnold
Dave Arnold (born 1971) is the founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD); the host of the radio show '' Cooking Issues''; an owner of Booker and Dax, a food and drink research lab in New York; a food science writer and edito ...
and the Bobcats won the Big Sky title and the
I-AA national championship in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. He was the defensive coordinator for the next two seasons, which were much less successful, and Arnold and the staff was fired. Kramer coached in western
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
at
Stadium High School in
Tacoma
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...
for two seasons, then joined the staff at Eastern Washington in 1989 and coached the defensive line for five years. When head coach Dick Zornes retired, Kramer was promoted and led the Eagles for six seasons, through 1999.
Head coaching record
College
References
External links
Idaho State profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Mike
1955 births
Living people
American football defensive linemen
American football offensive linemen
Eastern Washington Eagles football coaches
Idaho State Bengals football coaches
Idaho Vandals football players
Montana State Bobcats football coaches
High school football coaches in Montana
High school football coaches in Washington (state)
People from Colton, Washington
Sportspeople from Whitman County, Washington
Coaches of American football from Washington (state)
Players of American football from Washington (state)