He was the head football coach at Carroll College in Helena, Montana from 1999 to 2018, compiling a record of 203–54.
Van Diest's Carroll Fighting Saints won six NAIA National Championships, four consecutively from 2002 to 2005, a fifth in 2007, and a sixth in 2010.
[1] Following his graduation in 1975, he signed with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) as a linebacker.
[2] Van Diest began his coaching career in 1977 as a graduate assistant for his alma mater, Wyoming.
[10] He maintained the position for twenty seasons and led the team to an overall record of 203–54 and six NAIA National Championships.