Meet the Coaches

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Coach Kolumbus steps into his third year as Jefferson’s Offensive Coordinator, returning for his second stint with the program. With 18 years of coaching experience between high school and college levels.  He played college football at UW-Eau Claire. Coach Kolumbus and his wife, Meghan, have two children, Rhys and Vaughan.

Coach Leverenz started coaching at Jefferson in 1992. He has served many roles in the program and this year will coach the DE’s and special teams. A graduate of Ankeny High School in Iowa, he played linebacker at the University of Minnesota before a brief stint with the Washington Redskins. Beyond football, Coach Levy has been teaching Human Anatomy, AP, and General Biology at Jefferson for 30 years and serves as the Head Boys Track and Field Coach and Science Olympiad Advisor. He and his wife Michele, a Jefferson alum, live in Lakeville with their children, Tate and Skyler, and their dog, Murphie.

Coach Swartout enters his 25th season coaching at Jefferson, having previously spent a season at Apple Valley High School. A 1994 Jefferson graduate, he played offensive guard for the Jaguars before continuing his football career at UW-River Falls. He began coaching at Jefferson while completing his undergraduate degree. Swartout was recognized as MFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2025. A dedicated educator, Coach Swartout has been a Health and PE teacher at Valley View Middle School in Bloomington for 23 years. He and his wife Kelly have two children: Brady, a senior at Iowa State, and Logan, a sophomore at University of Minnesota Duluth

“Coach V or Coach Varp” is starting his first season as an assistant coach here at Bloomington Jefferson. "Coach Varp" is a seasoned football coach and educator with coaching experience at the high school, junior college, Division III (MIAC) and Division I levels (Big Ten). His collegiate experience includes working in the Big Ten for 4 years under Coach Glen Mason at the University of Minnesota along with two stints at St. Olaf College as a defensive coach and an offensive coordinator.

Varpness has held roles as head coach, defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and has coached across the roster—quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, linebackers, defensive backs and special teams over his career. Notable seasons in his career include MN West (10–1 season, back-to-back conference championships and state appearances), Bemidji State (first winning season in 11 years), a state appearance at Burnsville H.S. in 2015 (9-2) and contributing to three bowl appearances in four seasons with the Minnesota Gophers.

During his coaching career he has coached 6 professional football players (4 NFL and 2 Canadian League) and sent 14+ players to the Division 1 level along with countless others to D2/D3 and Jr. College to help further their academic/athletic careers.

As a player, Varpness was a two-year, two-way starter in high school and went on to earn multiple honors at MN West, including First Team All-Conference (strong safety), First Team All-State, First Team Region XIII, Academic All-State and an appearance in the 1997 Junior College All-American Bowl. At Bemidji State he was a standout on special teams—earning Special Teams MVP—and a multiple recipient of the team’s “Kamikaze” award.

You may know Vince's father the late Don Varpness, the original "Coach Varp", who is member of 4 different hall of fames as a coach or player, spent 37 years as a Head Coach at the H.S. and collegiate level, was president of the MN State H.S. Coaches Association in 1972, and was chairman of the board that set up the original playoff system for football in the state of MN.

Vince holds a bachelor’s degree and teaching license in Physical Education and Health from Bemidji State University and has a Master’s Degree in Applied Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota (2002). Vince currently teaches PE and Health at the high school level. He lives in Richfield with his wife, Kristen (an English teacher), their son Jack, and their dogs Jersey, Coco and Loki.

This is Coach Weiland’s first season at Jefferson.  This is his 38th year coaching high school football.  Previously, he was the head coach at Watertown-Mayer (1993-1998) and at Orono (2002-2018).  He was also an assistant coach at Le Sueur, Watertown-Mayer, Orono, Holy Angels, and most recently at Wayzata.  He teaches social studies at Orono high school, and lives in Plymouth with his wife Becky.  He has two children, Katie and David.  Coach Weiland also played football at Gustavus with Coach Woody.

Coach Beau enters his 4th season as a varsity assistant coach at Jefferson. A 2014 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College where he was a starting safety for 3 seasons and earned a degree in Athletic Training. Coach Beau is a Family Practice Physician Assistant at Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Prior Lake. He lives in Prior Lake with his wife Estee and daughters Clara and Logan. 

A Jefferson alum, Coach Dammann returns for his 13th season on the Jaguars' coaching staff. A 2009 graduate, he was an all conference wide receiver, tight end, and defensive end for the Jags before continuing his football career at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, where he earned all conference as a tight end for four years while earning his teaching degree. Coach Dammann has been a Special Education teacher in Bloomington for the past 11 years and currently teaches at Olson Middle School. He and his wife, Keely, live in Bloomington with their three children: Nash, Colter, and Jora. Keely has also been a part of the Jaguars coaching family, with the volleyball program.

Coach Wilson is entering his fifth year at Jefferson and his tenth year overall coaching high school sports. Has experience coaching not only Football but Wrestling, Soccer, and Strength and Conditioning for his Alma Mater Nile C. Kinnick High in Yokosuka, Japan. Coach Wilson and his wife Samantha moved to the Twin Cities in 2021 after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa. Coach Wilson works global security operations for Pearson VUE while his wife works as a Mental Health Therapist. They just had their first child last year, Thea. 

Coach Kalina enters his second season as a Defensive Assistant and Defensive Line Coach for the Varsity team. A Jefferson graduate, he played under Coach Leverenz from 2009 to 2011 before continuing his education at Minnesota State Mankato. He has previously coached youth football in Mankato and Legion baseball in Bloomington and is excited to bring his experience back to Jefferson.

Coach Sanders is a retired 24-year U.S. Navy veteran and brings extensive coaching experience from youth to high school levels across the country. Originally from Hampton, IA, he’s a passionate Iowa Hawkeye fan. Coach Sanders and his wife Danielle have three children: Keaton, Will, and Liv. He’s grateful to make an impact in his second season with Jefferson.

Now in his ninth season with the Jaguars football program, Coach Ladd leads the Freshman squad for the third year while also coaching linebackers and running backs. A graduate of Hutchinson (MN) High School, he has coached at various levels, including youth, middle school, and semi-professional football. In addition to coaching, he serves on the Board of Directors and Football Board for the Outside of football, Coach Ladd is the founder and president of RDL & Associates, a government relations and strategic communications firm. He cherishes every moment he can spend with his 15-year-old son, Ryan.