HOLLAND, Mich. — Hope College football was 8-2 during the 2021 season. The Flying Dutchmen narrowly missed the DIII national playoffs after a tie breaker in the MIAA standings.
Head Coach Peter Stuursma is confident that his team will be even better than last year because of their success. "I think that resonated with our guys in the off season, the way they worked. The way our leadership led. It's been really nice to watch really the core of our leadership not only our council leaders, but our captains that were just named this past week. But really all the way down in every position. They just had a really, really unique I think work ethic and just as a progression as we've gotten through fall camp here in the last three weeks."
For the first time in three decades, the Flying Dutch have a new defensive coordinator. Jacob Pardonnet was hired this spring to take over the coordinator role. He's a 2017 graduate of Hope College and was a student assistant in 2018 for the football team.
"He's really knowledgeable. He just brings a lot of fire and our guys have responded knowing not only ever players but our coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball. I think that has translated them into fall camp here. And you know you always always kind of checks for me is the offensive head of the defense people to the offense. And really what I have seen in the last three weeks is our defense has just really, really improved every day," said Stuursma.
Hope will host Aurora College on Saturday Sept. 3rd at 1 p.m. to start their 2022 campaign.
