VERMILLION — When St. Thomas More head football coach Wayne Sullivan was hired as the More coach, he was loading some old equipment on a truck when Richard “Doc” Carlson asked him if he needed an assistant coach. Sullivan had not hired any assistants, and Carlson was up to the task.

“He said, ‘what are your qualifications,’” Carlson said about Sullivan’s reply. “Then I said ‘Who do you have?’”

Carlson was on the sidelines Thursday for More’s fifth state title game, a 34-20 loss to Milbank.

Over the years, Carlson and Sullivan have developed a coaching friendship, with Sullivan making Carlson the godfather of his youngest son. Carlson has moved from being an assistant coach to a trainer. He has been with the program since the school was named St. Thomas More in 1991. He also keeps statistics for the team.

Carlson considers the team as family, and the program in turn only has good things to say about him.

“He’s invaluable,” St. Thomas More athletic director Craig Nowotny said. “Basically he’s the heart and soul of the program. When you talk St. Thomas More football, you talk to Doc Carlson.”

Carlson also plays a role for the athletes after high school. Carlson helps young athletes get college scholarships and advises them. One of the athletes, St. Thomas More graduate and University of South Dakota football player, Dusty Nowotny, was on the sidelines with him at Thursday’s title game.

“I have a lot of fun doing it,” said Carlson, who added that five or six of the More players from the current team have a chance at playing in college.