Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The Ursuline and YSU graduate has been an assistant coach at Chaney.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- Dallas J. Saunders, defensive coordinator at Chaney High School, is the new Struthers High football coach.
Saunders, 28, a former All-Steel Valley Conference defensive tackle at Ursuline in 1994-1995, was given a one-year contract as head coach and hired as a physical education teacher by a unanimous vote of the board of education at its meeting Tuesday.
Saunders' supplemental contract will pay 22 percent of $28,192, the Struthers School District's beginning wage for teachers with a bachelor's degree.
He was one of 12 candidates for the job, five of whom were interviewed by the board, David Barone, board president, said.
Top of everyone's list
Sheri L. Noble, a member of the board of education and of the committee that recommended Saunders for the position, said he was "very impressive" in his interview. Barone said Saunders was at the top of everyone's list.
An assistant varsity football coach at Chaney since 1998, Saunders had stints there as offensive line coordinator, strength coordinator, run game coordinator and a varsity offensive and defensive position coach, as well as defensive coordinator.
He was also head coach of the junior varsity football team at Chaney, and current seventh grade basketball coach at Lisbon Middle School, a position he said he will relinquish.
Baseball scholarship to YSU
Saunders was a three-year letterman in football and baseball at Ursuline, and was given a scholarship to play baseball at Youngstown State University.
He said Tuesday he planned to meet today with the Struthers athletic director and with the kids in the weight room and basically "hit the ground running."
Saunders, enrolled in the masters program at Ashland College, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in education from YSU in 2001. He taught in the Youngstown City School District from 2001-2003 and has been a language arts teacher in the Lisbon Exempted Village School District from 2003 to the present.