Dennis Korman knows how to repay a favor.
The Cloquet attorney, who has not coached football before, felt he owed it to new Carlton Athletic Director Tracy Bockbrader to help out.
Bockbrader is the daughter of longtime Cloquet athletic coach Ken Suominen, who had coached Korman's daughter in softball for many years.
"Originally she had asked Ken to do it," Korman said. "But he didn't have the experience in football. So he said 'Why not see if Korman will do it?'"
"He (Suominen) donated so much of his time to help my daughter, so how am I going to say no?" Korman laughed. "He helped my daughter, why shouldn't I help his?"
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And so, the former Eden Valley High School player and St. John's University lineman takes over the Bulldogs.
He enters the job with a very steep learning curve.
"I didn't know much about Carlton football, living in Cloquet," he said. "What I read in the paper, for the most part."
After playing for the legendary John Gagliardi at St. John's, Korman turned down professional offers from both the New Orleans Saints and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts to go to law school.
"It was the best decision I ever made," he said.
However, the great Gagliardi will leave his mark on the 2010 Bulldogs too, through their new coach.
"John was known for having no full-contact practices," he said. "We believe in that too. We are not going to leave injured players on the practice field."
Gagliardi is also famous for allowing his players to call him by his first name, a practice Korman will not discourage.
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"He wasn't an authoritarian, but he commands respect being who he is," Korman added. "My players are free to call me Dennis. I'm not a dictator. However, I'm the boss. If they (the players) don't do what they are told, they won't play."
