Manchester University

Twitter Handle: @footballcoachj

Head football coach Nate Jensen completed his seventh year leading the Spartans in 2022.

The Manchester football program has seen continued growth, both on and off the field, under Jensen’s leadership. 56 Spartans have earned All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honors over the last six seasons.  Six Spartans have been D3football.com All-North Region honorees and Manchester University had back-to-back seasons with one D3football.com All-American (Dakota Nelson in 2017; Dillon Nelson in 2018).  Manchester also produced the 2017 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Special Teams MVP in Dakota Nelson. Most recently, kicker Andrew Kibler earned D3football.com Third Team All-American honors.

In 2021, senior kicker Andrew Kibler led the All-HCAC awards listings for Manchester, picking up First Team All-HCAC honors. Kibler was a two-time HCAC Special Teams Player of the Week and earned a D3football.com National Team Player of the Week selection on 10/12. Kibler also earned D3football.com All-Region IV and Third Team All-American honors. Defensive back Jaquan Walker, linebacker Jalen Masden, and returner Carmelo Gurley were honored with Second Team All-HCAC honors at the conclusion of the season, while six more Spartans earned Honorable Mention All-HCAC honors. 

During the Covid-19 season of 2020-21, Manchester ranked among the leaders in the nation in games played at seven. The Black & Gold were just one of six NCAA Division III institutions to play a game during the fall semester in 2020. Sophomore linebacker Devontay Moore was named to a special D3football.com National Team of the Week for his performances in Manchester's two fall contests. At the conclusion of the spring campaign, four Spartans picked up all-conference honors, with junior wide receiver Harrington Greer headlining the list with a First Team All-HCAC selection.

In 2019, senior running back Donavan Henderson, Jr. rewrote the Manchester record books. Henderson, a D3Football.com All-North Region honoree, finished second in the nation in rushing (1,703 yards) and rushing TDs (20). Henderson ran for a school record 394 yards against Anderson and tied an NCAA record with 8 rushing TDs against the Ravens. Henderson's record day earned him a spot on the D3Football.com National Team of the Week (11/16/19). Henderson ended his Black & Gold career as the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,969 yards and his 53 rushing TDs are the most in school history. 

Additionally, Jensen led the 2019 Manchester football squad to an upset victory over perennial conference power Franklin, 30-21, for its first win over the Grizzlies since 1997. The Spartans also defeated Anderson, 70-54, to retain the coveted Bronze Ball Trophy for the ninth straight year in the second highest scoring game in school history. 12 different Spartans would earn All-HCAC honors at the conclusion of the season.

In 2018, the Spartans battled to another competitive mark of 4-6, 4-4 HCAC. 10 Spartans garnered All-HCAC accolades, with three earning First Team honors, three earning Second Team Honors, and four earning Honorable Mention All-HCAC recognition. Both Charles Stefanek and Dillon Nelson earned D3football.com All-North Region accolades and Nelson was also tabbed as a D3football.com Honorable Mention All-American.

In 2017, Jensen led the Spartans to a 6-4, 5-3 HCAC record, marking the fourth outright winning season for the football program since 1997. Manchester finished in a tie for third-place in the HCAC standings while earning conference victories over Defiance, Earlham, Hanover, Bluffton and Anderson. Manchester's on-field success was recognized with 12 All-HCAC selections, including the league naming Dakota Nelson the HCAC Special Teams MVP. Nelson would also earn D3football.com All-North Region and Honorable Mention All-American status in 2017.

During Jensen's first season in 2016, eight different Spartans would earn All-HCAC accolades. The Black & Gold would also capture a critical win in the Bronze Ball trophy series against rival Anderson 33-14 to conclude the season.

In the classroom, Jensen has had four seasons with a National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy Semifinalist, honoring both academic and athletic excellence.  Six individuals have been named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Society and one (Eric Beard, 2017-18) was a national semifinalist for the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

No stranger to the Spartans’ football program, Jensen spent five seasons on former head coach Shannon Griffith’s staff from 2004-08 during which the Black and Gold had 12 players named All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference on the defensive side of the ball. Jensen’s leadership as a defensive line and linebackers coach helped Manchester turn in one of the league’s top defensive units.

Before coming back to North Manchester, Jensen spent time at Alma College in Michigan.  During four seasons with the Scots, Jensen served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Under his tutelage, seven AC defensive players earned All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association honors, including two first-team selections and the conference’s Most Valuable Player in 2015. He also spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Defiance College from 2009-2011.  While at DC, Jensen coached 16 student athletes who earned all-league honors. The Yellow Jackets ranked second in the conference in scoring defense, rushing defense, and total sacks during his tenure.  In 2010, the Yellow Jackets had one all-region and All-American honoree.

Jensen was a three-year starter at defensive end for Defiance, and was a member of the Yellow Jackets' conference championship squad in 2001. He played in 27 games during his career and earned All-HCAC honors as a senior, when he set career-highs with 32 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, and 4.0 sacks. Jensen graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 2004.  He earned a teaching certification from Manchester in 2006.

Jensen is married to former Manchester soccer player and Manchester Athletics Hall of Famer Missy King.  The two have one son Matthew (10), and reside in Fort Wayne.

* Last Updated - December 13, 2022