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Volume 40, Issue 10.
February 25, 2003
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Dunn named new coach
Coach Dan Dunn plans to add more lines in the
win column for the MCC’s football team in 2003
By Andrew Fogoros
Mesa Legend
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DANNY ALCOCER/MESA LEGEND
Coach Dunn leans on the goal post
awaiting Spring practice, which begins for the Thunderbird football
players on April first.
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Dan Dunn knows football.
The former ASU Sun Devil has been coaching high school and junior college
kids for years now.
That’s why he’s a perfect fit as the new head coach of the Mesa
Thunderbirds.
Dunn was hired following a dismal 3–7 season that included a tough
loss to nearby rival Scottsdale College.
“I realized I didn’t
prep myself for anything
else besides football. That’s when
I decided to get into coaching.”
Followed by an on-field riot, that had everybody pointing
fingers.
Dunn is going to try to teach all of his players good sportsmanship through
the knowledge he has acquired from his years on the gridiron.
Coach Dunn is from Western Pennsylvania, the part of the United States
that lives and dies football.
After starring on his high school football team, Dunn came to Arizona
State University to play for legendary coach Frank Kush, in 1963, “and
I’ve been here ever since,” he said.
He played linebacker for the Sun Devils until a knee injury forced him
to move to center.
After Dunn finished out his career at ASU in 1967, he didn’t know
what he wanted to do next.
“I realized I didn’t prep myself for anything else besides football.
That’s when I decided to get into coaching,” he said.
Realizing that football was in his blood, Dunn went to Paradise Valley
College as an assistant coach.
Paradise Valley was a stepping stone for Dunn’s coaching career leading
to several other employment opportunities.
After coaching at Paradise Valley, he went to Chinle High School for his
first head coaching job.
Next, he went to Gilbert High School as the head coach and then to Mesa
first as an assistant and then eventually head coach.
Coach Dunn had two sons at Red Mountain High School and couldn’t
pass up the opportunity to coach them, so he left Mesa for a job there.
Which was his last job before coming back to take over the Mesa football
program.
Dunn is looking forward to this year’s team, although trying to replace
All-WSFL tailback Will Henry is going to be tough to do.
Henry was the Thunderbirds number one offensive weapon in 2002.
“Every time he touched the ball he was a threat to take it in for
six,” Dunn said.
Dunn is very happy with this year’s incoming freshmen. “We got
a good group of kids in this recruiting class.”
He mentioned he’s real excited about quarterbacks Jared Horine from
Hamilton and Chris Fessler from Bradshaw Mountain. He also said to look
out for wide receiver Larue Burley of Westwood and defensive backs Steve
Smith of Red Mountain and Skyler Nielson of Mountain View, just to name
a few.
Dunn also brought with him a new coaching staff, with the exception of
wide receivers coach Ron Daugherty.
He also said he doesn’t expect to change anything for spring practice.
Football players can expect to be suited up April first as usual.
So, gear up fans because football season is right around the corner.
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