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| April 5 , 2005
40th Anniversary Edition |
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Drew Brashler Mesa Legend |
| Dan Dunn has always been involved with the athletics department at MCC. He has lived a “life like no other.” |
Dunn improves quality of community at MCC
Collin Nelson
Mesa Legend
With big, strong, withered hands, the kind that most grandfathers have, he reaches out for the phone answering, “Football, Dan Dunn speaking.” As Mesa Community College’s athletic director and head coach of the football team, Dunn has lived a life that is beyond comparison.
Why would anyone want to teach at the high school and college level? “It’s definitely not for the pay check,” said Dunn laughingly. “I really think that teaching and coaching are the most rewarding and honorable professions out there. Not many people do something they love everyday as their job.”
Dunn has been teaching at the high school and college level for 24 years. He has taught, retired, then returned to teaching and coaching twice. His career as a teacher, player and coach seems more like a Hollywood production than real life.
“I have lived a life like no other, that’s for sure. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but there isn’t anything I would rather do.”
The beginning of his story starts in Pennsylvania where Dunn was born and raised in a family with three brothers who were all involved in athletics. As with most inspirational stories, there is someone who does some significant inspiring.
“My high school math teacher and football coach really inspired me to get into teaching and coaching. He is the main reason that I became a teacher and he gave me the motivation to help better young peoples’ lives. His influences are present in the way I do things to this day.”
After high school, Dunn attended Arizona State University where he played for and was inspired by another coach, Frank Kush. While playing football for ASU, Dunn received a degree in mathematics and physics, later receiving his teaching credentials.
“I actually became a teacher because I want to coach so much. I knew that it would be easier to get a job coaching if I was teaching as well.”
As much as Dunn’s life is his own, it does have a striking similarity to that of another person who influenced Dunn, MCC’s former football coach and retired Athletic Director, Allen Benedict.
Like Dunn, Benedict is from the Midwest, attended ASU and came directly to MCC from college. In fact, it was Benedict who gave Dunn his first coaching position. “Dan was my assistant coach and when I decided to retire from coaching I recommended him to be by successor,” Benedict said.
Dunn taught and coached at MCC for several years before retiring from the college level to teach and coach Red Mountain and Payson high schools so that he could be closer to and have more involvement with raising three sons.
Dunn returned to MCC two years ago after leaving MCC almost 14 years earlier. Only one year after returning, Dunn found himself being offered the position of athletic director by Benedict who was retiring. “When Allen told me he was retiring, I was surprised.”
Benedict had been MCC’s A.D. for more than 20 years. “Having been the A.D. for a year now, I’m surprised Allen did this for as long as he did. This job takes a lot more effort than I thought,” as his phone rang again. “There is always something you need to be doing. It really takes a lot out of you.”
There is no denying that Dunn’s life is like no one else’s. He has continued with his desires to teach and coach through a tragedy that resulted in the loss of his wife and daughter nearly 20 years ago. He has raised four children, all of who have gone onto college. He has also remarried and has three grandchildren living in Texas.
“Coach Dunn is a great coach, knowledgeable teacher, and a role model to us all,” said several of his players after practice. “He has shown us that genuine and honorable people do exist.”
With every success story there is someone like Dunn who has inspired that person to become what they are. Tiger woods, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky are all considered “the greatest” in their respective sports. And all of them have said that they would not be where they are today if it were not for someone who inspired them along the way.
At MCC, Dunn is such a person.
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