Longtime Montana high school coach and Carroll College graduate Troy Purcell has been named the new head football coach at his alma mater, the school announced on Dec. 7.
Purcell becomes the 21st coach in Carroll history but just the third in the last 47 years, following Bob Petrino and Mike Van Diest, who retired after 20 seasons and six national championships last month. Purcell played for Petrino from 1986-90 before beginning his coaching career.
Purcell’s first head coaching job in Montana came in Eureka, where he guided Lincoln County High School from 1994-99 and won six district titles. He then moved to Havre High School where he won a state championship in 2004, and Purcell later led Bozeman High School to Class AA state titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Purcell has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Idaho.