NATCHITOCHES -- After a year in the National Football League working with the Miami Dolphins equipment staff, following previous stops at Georgia State and Louisiana Tech, Dan Matthiesen is the new head equipment manager for Northwestern State.
 
Matthiesen's appointment has been approved by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, which includes Northwestern State. His appointment was officially announced by director of athletics Greg Burke.
 
In his new position, Matthiesen oversees all equipment orders and inventories for the NSU athletic department, and directs student managers who are vital parts of each sport's staff. He is particularly involved in management of football equipment and services.
 
"Dan hit the ground running with our program this spring and has already earned high marks from the student-athletes and coaches he serves," said Burke. "We are very fortunate to have him on our team."
 
Working with the Dolphins since May 2013, Matthiesen assisted with the day-to-day operations in the equipment room. Primary duties included preparing the practice field with gear and position-specific equipment, and assisting with all the aspects of game day preparations. Working with equipment staffs around the NFL, Matthiesen gained first-hand insight on how some of the best in the business maintain an effective equipment room operation.
 
While at Georgia State in 2012-13, his duties included overseeing nine student managers, properly fitting and maintaining all athletes' equipment, assisting in the operations of the equipment room, and laundering the game uniforms. He was also involved with order forecasting, and maximizing budget resource.
 
As a four-year student manager at Louisiana Tech, Matthiesen earned the head student manager title. In this position, he assisted the head coach and ensured practice ran smoothly. Working with staffs run by Derek Dooley and Sonny Dykes, he was exposed to significantly different coaching styles, and functioning under and with different equipment managers, due to several staff changes.
 
He was part of two bowl teams at Louisiana Tech and the 2011 Western Athletic Conference championship squad for the Bulldogs under Dykes.
 
A Dallas native and 2008 graduate of Lake Highlands High School, Matthiesen received his bachelor's degree in business management and entrepreneurship from Louisiana Tech in 2012. He is a certified Athletic Equipment Manager by the Athletic Equipment Managers Association. He also has earned the elite rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.