Football
- Title:
- Director, Recruiting Operations
- Email:
- dlandhol@tulane.edu
- Hometown:
- Bristow, Neb.
| PROFILE Hometown: Bristow, Nebraska Wife: Cindi Children: Kristen, Sarah and Kate EDUCATION Bachelor’s – Wayne State, 1979 Master’s - Central Missouri, 1985 PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1975-78, Wayne State – Football COACHING EXPERIENCE 1979-83, Plainview High School (Asst./Head Coach) 1984-85, Central Missouri (Asst.) 1986, Montana State (Asst.) 1987-91, Arizona State (GA/Analyst) 1992, PSIA North High School (Asst.) 1993-96, Blinn Junior College (OL) 1997-08, Eastern Kentucky (LB/DC) 2009-12, Purdue (LB/DC) 2013-15, Tennessee Tech (DC) 2016-Present, Tulane (Dir. of Player Dev.) POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE (12) 1994 Mineral Water Bowl - Blinn College 1995 NJCAA National Championship Game - Blinn College 1996 NJCAA National Championship Game - Blinn College 1997 FCS Playoffs - Eastern Kentucky 2007 FCS Playoffs- Eastern Kentucky 2008 FCS Playoffs - Eastern Kentucky 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - Purdue 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl - Purdue 2018 Auto Nation Cure Bowl - Tulane 2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl- Tulane 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - Tulane 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Tulane |
A veteran of more than 40 years in the coaching ranks, Donn Landholm is in his eighth season as Director of Player Development for the Green Wave in 2023.
Prior to Tulane, Landholm spent three seasons at Tennessee Tech University. He served as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach all three seasons for the Golden Eagles.
Before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Purdue in 2009, when the Boilermakers defeated Michigan and Ohio State in the same season for the first time since 1966. He coached the outside linebackers at Purdue for three seasons (2010-12) and was a part of teams that went to back-to-back bowl games in 2011 and 2012. Those defenses included future NFL players Ryan Kerrigan, Kawann Short and Ricardo Allen.
He moved to Purdue in 2009 from Eastern Kentucky, where he coached from 1997-2008. Landholm was linebackers coach from 1997 to 2004, defensive coordinator from 2005 to 2007 and linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator in 2008.
In 2005 and 2006, the Colonels ranked among the Ohio Valley Conference’s top three in total defense, allowing 328.5 and 309.0 yards per game. The Colonels led the nation in turnover margin in 2007 at +18, with 35 takeaways (24 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries).
Landholm also was in charge of the Eastern Kentucky special teams from 2002 to 2007. In 2003, the Colonels led the nation with a 16.5-yard punt return average and, in 2006, they were ninth with a 22.9-yard kickoff return average.
From 1993-96, Landholm was the offensive line coach at Blinn (Texas) Junior College. Blinn won back-to-back junior college national championships in 1995 and 1996, going 12-0 both seasons.
He was a defensive assistant at Arizona State from 1987-91, the first two years as a graduate assistant with the defense and the final three as a defensive analyst with the linebackers. The Sun Devils played in the 1987 Freedom Bowl.
Landholm served as the running backs coach at two stops -- Montana State in 1986 and Central Missouri in 1984 and 1985.
His experience also includes coaching in the high school ranks at PSJA North Early College High School in in Pharr, Texas, in 1992 and serving as head coach at Plainview (Nebraska) High School in 1982 and 1983 after working there as an assistant coach for three seasons.
A native of Bristow, Nebraska, Landholm played outside linebacker at Wayne State College and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and political science in 1979. He earned a master’s degree in secondary education from Central Missouri State in 1985.
Landholm and his wife, Cindi, have three daughters: Kristen, Sarah and Kate. Kate attended Louisiana State University. Sarah and husband Corey Neal have a two daughters, Kylie and Norah. Kristen and her husband Shahar Zach were married in December of 2017.
