Dave Christensen Bio:
Hometown:
Everett, Wash.
Last College:
Western Washington, '85
Position:
Missouri Tigers Assistant H.C. / Off. Coord. / Off. Line
Experience:
7th Year at Missouri
Dave Christensen is one of the top offensive coaches in the nation, and has coached under Gary Pinkel since 1992. He has been Pinkel's offensive coordinator since 1997, and has coached the offensive line the past 15 seasons. Christensen, a 2002 and 2003 nominee for the Frank Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year Award, is in
his seventh season as Assistant Head Coach - the highest-ranking assistant on Pinkel's staff.
Despite losing the most prolific quarterback in Mizzou history - Brad Smith - to graduation, Mizzou's offensive attack hardly missed a beat with first-year starter
Chase Daniel, who kept the offense humming, and set numerous school passing records himself in 2006. The Tigers
finished the 2006 season with the nation's 8th-ranked offense, averaging 425.62 yards per game, and that included the nation's 10th-ranked passing attack, at 276.15 yards an outing. The Tiger offense set numerous team and individual records, including total offense (5,533 yards) and passing yards (3,590). Two of Christensen's linemen earned All-Big 12 honors, as senior tackle Joel Clinger earned 1st-Team honors by league coaches, while Clinger and center Adam Spieker both earned honorable-mention status from the Associated Press.
Christensen's offense, which underwent a big transformation to a spread, no-huddle attack in 2005, was very successful in 2005. His attack, executed by record-setting quarterback Brad Smith, ended the 2005 season ranked in the top four in the Big 12, and in the top-40 nationally in three major categories - rushing (205.25 ypg - 3rd in Big 12/17th in NCAA), total offense (429.75 ypg - 4th/24th) and scoring (30.75 ppg - 4th/34th).
Despite going to battle each week with a young offensive line that featured just one senior starter, the offense jelled right away, as the Tigers rolled to 657 yards in the 2005 season opener against Arkansas State. That was just three yards shy of the school record. Three of
Christensen's linemen won all-Big 12 honors in 2005, led by senior left guard Tony Palmer, who earned 1st-Team league honors for the first time in his career. He was joined by sophomore center Adam Spieker and junior right tackle Joel Clinger, who both won honorable mention acclaim by league coaches. Palmer eventually became a 7th-round draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.
Christensen was behind the wheel of a Mizzou offensive attack in 2003 broke the school single-season record for points, with 399. That broke the previous mark of 368 set by the 1997 squad.
The Tiger rushing attack also proved to be one of the most potent in the nation in 2003, as MU led the Big 12 Conference, and ranked 6th nationally with an average of 237.46 yards per game. That marked the first time since 1960 that MU won a conference rushing championship, when the Tigers led the old Big Eight with a mark of 249.3 yards per game. Its 3,087 rushing yards for the season ranked as second-best in school season history. Senior center A.J. Ricker and senior tackle Rob Droege each earned 1st-Team All-Big 12 honors for their play in 2003, while sophomore guard Tony Palmer earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 status. Ricker and Droege both signed free agent contracts in the spring of 2004 with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Scott Paffrath signed a free agent deal with the Washington Redskins following the 2005 NFL Draft.
Under Christensen's guidance, Mizzou featured one of the most potent attacks in school history in 2002. The Tigers averaged 30.0 points per game, and the 360 points scored were the third-most in MU history at the time. Christensen's balanced run-pass attack turned redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Smith into one of the nation's most talked about players, as he became just the second player in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Mizzou's emphasis on a disciplined attack also produced an offense that led the nation in fewest turnovers, with just 11 offensive giveaways in 12 games.
In his final seven seasons at the University of Toledo, the Rockets' offense set or reset some 75 school records. During that period, the Rockets had an undefeated and MAC championship season (11-0 in 1995) and three MAC West titles (1997 and 1998).
In 1999, Toledo was 10th in the country in rushing (239.2) and led the nation in yards per attempt (5.35).
Christensen came to Toledo from Idaho State University where he coached the offensive line, tight ends and running backs for two years. Prior to his stint at Idaho State, he served two years as an assistant coach under Don James at the University of Washington. He also played football for the Huskies from 1980-82.
Christensen coached Andy McCollum, a longtime standout center for the St. Louis Rams, while at Toledo. Another lineman, Colin Westerich, made the Sporting News All-America Team in 1999.
Christensen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Western Washington in 1985 and a Master of Science degree in college instruction/sports science from Eastern Washington University in 1988.
He and his wife Susie, are the parents of Katie, D.J. and Emily.
University of Missouri Football
THE CHRISTENSEN FILE
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2001-Present Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line, Missouri
1997-00 Off. Coordinator/Offensive Line, Toledo
1992-96 Offensive Line, Toledo
1990-91 OL/TE/RB, Idaho State
1989-90 Offensive Line, Washington
1988 Spokane Falls CC
1986-87 Offensive/Defensive Line, Eastern Washington
1985 Offensive/Defensive Line, Everett (WA) H.S.
1984 Offensive/Defensive Line, Sehome (WA) H.S.
1983 Running Backs, Western Washington
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Washington (1980-82)
RECRUITING AREAS
Southern Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Arizona Junior Colleges
CHRISTENSEN'S
ALL-BIG 12 PERFORMERS
Aaron Crittendon, OL
2nd Team (2001)
A.J. Ricker, OL
3rd Team (2001), 2nd Team (2002), 1st Team (2003)
Justin Bland
OL - Hon. Men. (2001)
Mike Hayes
OL - Hon. Men. (2001)
Rob Droege
OL - 1st Team (2002, 2003)
Tony Palmer
OL - Hon. Men. (2003), 2nd Team (2004), 1st Team (2005)
Adam Spieker
OL - Hon. Men. (2005)
Joel Clinger
OL - Hon. Men. (2005), 1st Team (2006)
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