The teeth of the matter for Monmouth College graduate Paul Luepke? Investing in people

Aledo High School grad is thriving as dean in Kansas City, the fictional home of Ted Lesso

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (10/29/2026) — "I believe in hope. I believe in believe." - Ted Lasso

One gets the feeling that well before he found himself living in the U.S. home of the fictional coach of AFC Richmond soccer, Paul Luepke and Ted Lasso were a lot alike.

On a Friday morning in late October, they were very alike, as Luepke - a 1983 graduate of Monmouth College - sported a fake moustache, aviator sunglasses, a visor and a whistle as he went about his duties as dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The Halloween get-up even extended to his assistant, who donned a full-on Coach Beard ensemble, and to an element he already featured - a small yellow "Believe" sign in his office, just like Lasso displays on a larger scale in the Richmond locker room.

"That's my word for the year. I've rolled it into every talk I've given. There's a lot of hidden leadership lessons in Ted Lasso," said Luepke, who also "reads a ton of books," many on leadership and service. One is about a New York City restaurant - Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. Another, The New Gold Standard, tells the story of a distinguished hotel chain. "We want the 'UMKC way' to be more like the Ritz-Carlton and its legendary customer service."

For much of Luepke's non-Halloween work at UMKC, a coat and tie are in order. But he also wears dental scrubs - he owns each of the school's six designated colors of distinction - as he makes his rounds, a habit that the school's magazine captured on its cover, with the title "Walking the Walk."

"I like to find out the pulse of the building," said Luepke, who assumed his latest role in 2025, making the move from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he served as associate dean of faculty affairs, interim associate dean for clinical and extramural affairs, and chair of periodontology in the College of Dentistry. "It's a good way to nip problems in the bud."

It also helps to fulfill some of the principles in The New Gold Standard, such as empowering through trust, focusing on others and creating long-term impact.

"The reason I went for this position was that I thought to myself, 'I could probably use all my skills I've developed in leadership in the military and in academia and in the field of dentistry.' It was an opportunity to build a culture, to see if I could do it. I'm excited about teaching the next set of leaders how to be leaders."

In Luepke's new role, he's helping to lead the only public dental school in Missouri and Kansas, which has clinics providing more than 70,000 patient visits and $500,000 in uncompensated care per year. Luepke is also helping UMKC in a transition to its new Healthcare Delivery and Innovation building, and he'll take the lead on the proposed expansion of the School of Dentistry to a satellite campus in St. Joseph. He celebrated Halloween a week early, as his late October plans included traveling to the west coast to help raise funds to cover the costs of that growth.

"I look forward to leading the UMKC School of Dentistry, which has a passionate alumni base across the nation," Luepke said in the early days of his tenure. "There is incredible forward momentum at this world-class university, and I'm committed to collaborating with campus and community leaders in service to the region."

The momentum at his university is real, and it is, too, for Kansas City, which just hosted the FIFA World Cup, and which has been invigorated by the hometown Chiefs, who feature Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce (and Taylor Swift). The distance from Luepke's office to home plate in the new stadium for the Kansas City Royals - set to open in 2030 - is roughly the same as a long home run.

Before university life

Well before he was at a world-class university in a thriving Midwest city, Luepke spent four formative years at a small college close to home. The graduate of nearby Aledo High School also considered staying in the region at Western Illinois University or spreading his wings at Ohio State University. But Monmouth had been recommended to him by one of his Aledo teachers, Maggie Miles, and he soon learned that its small size meant more opportunities and a strong connection with faculty. That included Pete Gebauer and Doc Kieft in his chemistry major and Bob Buchholz and David Allison in biology, which was the major of his Monmouth girlfriend and future wife, the former Judi Puettgen '83.

Luepke didn't go Greek, but he did form a social group of sorts, the self-designated Quite the Guys. Meeting and falling in love with Judi, serving in the college's "Green Army" (with Roger Haynes '82, among others) as he worked his way through school, and hanging out with his QTG "brothers" are among his most cherished Monmouth memories. In the latter category - or should we say "ladder" - is a memory involving Dean of Students Jackie Condon, who was in Year 1 of what would turn out to be a 37-year career as a Monmouth administrator. Luepke, Puettgen and fellow QTG member Rob Dyni were all part of her residence life staff.

"Rob and I went to Dean Condon's house to ask to borrow her ladder," said Luepke. "She asked, 'What do you need a ladder for?'" The answer, it turned out, was so that Luepke and Dyni could climb onto the overhang at Meling's - a popular restaurant and motel in Monmouth - and snap a photo with its iconic cow.

His courtship of Judi included formally going steady in March of 1980. He formally proposed to her at Monmouth's Barnstormer restaurant their senior year, and the couple was married in 1985. Now semi-retired, Judi spent her career as a science teacher.

Asked to summarize his Monmouth experience and what it's meant in his career, Luepke replied, "It's all about people and connection. If you value people with respect, you get the most out of your team. The faculty know you at Monmouth. I remember not wanting to disappoint my teachers. When you build relationships, people don't want to let you down. You build trust in those relationships, and the rest will take care of itself."

The art of dentistry

After graduating cum laude, Luepke earned his D.D.S from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Dentistry. He received his periodontal training from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

"I enjoyed going to the dentist, especially getting braces," Luepke said in a UMKC interview, when asked how he entered the field. "I was really intrigued when they took out my teeth at oral surgery. Both my parents were in the medical field, so I knew I wanted to be in healthcare. I'm also good with my hands, and creative. So that added up to dentistry for me. The beauty of dentistry is it has some art to it - in addition to the science - in creating a great smile for someone."

Luepke did something out of the ordinary for young dentists - he served in the military and served honorably. During his early years, he received the Navy Achievement Medal, the highest award a junior officer can receive. Not long after, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for significantly raising his ship's dental readiness. Part of his service time was spent stationed in Kuwait with the 1st Medical Battalion, Charlie Surgical Company, as the officer-in-charge of the dental platoon. He was also sent to Camp Viper in southern Iraq and to Camp Chesty near Baghdad.

"It's a way to give back to your country," said Luepke, who in 2008 retired from the Navy with the rank of captain after 21 years. "And you learn so much about your country, too," including appreciating what was formerly took for granted, which he experienced while living without refrigerators in Iraq. "Plus, anywhere I go, I have a built-in community."

In between the military and the University of Tennessee were leadership roles in the Marquette University School of Dentistry, where Luepke worked for more than a decade. He's also served as the director and president of the American Board of Periodontology and serves on the board of the Commission on Dental Accreditation, or CODA. The American Academy of Periodontology has honored him several times for education mentorship.

More Ted talk

The first episode of the most recent season of Ted Lasso takes place in Kansas City - also the real-life hometown of Jason Sudeikis, the actor who portrays Lasso - and features a trip to Gates Bar-B-Q, one of the leading franchises in the city.

"I love barbecue," said Luepke, who took out his phone and pulled up a list of places he's visited, alongside others he wants to explore. "I'm trying to do burnt ends and turkey at each place to make a complete comparison. Those two are my barometers of satisfaction."

So far in KC, he claims the best ribs can be found at Slap's BBQ (short for squeals like a pig), while the best turkey is at Meat Mitch BBQ. Gaining ground is the fare that Luepke creates himself.

"I have a ceramic kamado smoker at home, and I'm always trying to perfect my barbecue," he said. "I'm always seeking the best way to make my ribs."

Whatever Luepke has set his mind to, and wherever he's tried it, success has followed. Perfect barbecue - as well as a thriving School of Dentistry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City - are next on his to-do list. Can he find success again? Believe it.

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