California football turns to Dillow
Football is a major part of Darrin Dillow’s life. The Albert Gallatin High School graduate played in college before embarking on a 10-year run as an assistant coach. His father, James, was the head football coach at Fairchance Georges and an assistant at Tri-Valley High School, and his brother, Zack, was a lineman at West Virginia from 1999-2002.
For the past two years, he has been away from the football field. He attended a few high school games during that time, but was overcome by a strange feeling.
“It was weird,” Dillow said with a laugh. “I truly did miss it. There’s nothing like that feeling. I’ve wanted to get back to it.”
He’ll be back on the sidelines next fall after the California Area School Board approved Dillow as the high school’s next varsity football coach.
Dillow, 37, played two years collegiately at West Virginia Wesleyan before transferring to West Virginia, where he earned his degree in history. He then spent two years as the line coach at Uniontown and eight seasons as an assistant at California under Joe Kuhns and Brady Barbero.
California lost only five seniors, but is vastly inexperienced with the bulk of its 2015 roster consisting of underclassmen.
“This is a great opportunity. I know the team is young and there is a lot of inexperience, but it was now or never for me becoming a head coach,” Dillow said. “Being a head coach is a lot of work and you’re always the bad guy, but it’s incredibly rewarding. It’s enjoyable. I’m excited.”
Dillow replaces Bo Teets, whose job was opened early last month after two seasons. During Teets’ tenure, the Trojans went 5-14 and missed the playoffs both seasons. California went 1-9 last season and finished eighth in WPIAL Class A’s Tri-County South conference.
When the job was opened, the school’s administration was looking for a leader; someone who could help the students grow and is willing to put the time into building a winning program.
They did not have to look far. Dillow has been the head coach of the Trojans’ track and field program since its inception in 2011. He helped mentor two-time PIAA Class A discus champion Kailyn Clancy and built the program’s numbers with an average of 60 students joining the team each spring.
In the program’s first season, Dillow, a history teacher at California’s middle school, did not have an assistant coach and oversaw 45 students.
“What stood out to me is his experience as a coach in general,” California athletic director Chris Minerd said. “He has a good plan from top to bottom with developing the program moving forward and establishing the discipline part. We aren’t looking for instant success, but over time, he’s going to lay the ground work for a good, competitive program, which is what we ultimately would like.”
Dillow has been fielding phone calls from potential assistant coaches and plans to organize a staff in the coming months. The Trojans have not reached the WPIAL playoffs since 2011-12 when they lost to Avonworth, 28-16, in the first round.