Conor Dunn Promoted to Wilcox Head Football Coach, Paul Rosa to Offensive Coordinator

Conor Dunn takes over as the Chargers' head coach, taking the reins from Paul Rosa, who moves over to offensive coordinator.

There has been a significant change for the Wilcox Football program this offseason. Legendary Head Coach Paul Rosa, who has led the Chargers to multiple CCS Titles and CIF State Championships, has given way to longtime assistant Conor Dunn. While the initial sound of this news may have been shocking to some, the nuances of the switch in roles for the two coaches makes logical sense at this point in time.

Dunn, a 2010 Wilcox graduate himself, is looking to ascend the ranks in his coaching career; meanwhile, the incredibly accomplished Rosa is hoping to spend time watching his youngest son, Brayden, play in college. Rosa will still call the plays for the Chargers as the offensive coordinator, but stepping down as head coach will allow him more flexibility in his schedule. The goal for the Chargers is to keep the continuity intact and for the on-field style of play to remain rather similar to what fans have come to expect.

“Conor is a Wilcox grad, who played college football and is incredibly organized and dedicated to this program,” praised Rosa of his protege. “It was important to me to have somebody who understands our culture and will keep certain aspects of it alive. I know Conor will do that, while putting his own spin on things.

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“It’s been awesome to play for him. I’ve always had a lot of respect for the way he has gone about coaching,” responded Dunn on the relationship with Rosa over the years. “His preparedness shows up on game days, you understood that as a player, and then as a coach, you see that even more behind the scenes. You are able to pull from his style into your own pedagogy of coaching; you’re able to see why he has had the success he has had, which goes beyond football.

“He’s won multiple CCS championships in baseball, too,” continued Dunn. “I’ve developed an even deeper appreciation for what he does as a coach, now that I have been coaching with him. He’s definitely someone I wanted to model myself after and then also find ways to put my own stamp on it.”

While Dunn will look to make the team his own in some ways, as a former receiver, he admits he will take on a larger role in the passing game, but he didn’t hesitate to affirm that he’s not looking to change too much of what has been a successful program.

“One-hundred percent,” responded Dunn, trying to keep the continuity of the program intact. “We are striving for that. The last decade or so of Wilcox football has been amongst its most successful, so I’m not coming in and thinking I am gonna reinvent the wheel. I want to continue to strive to have the same level of football and try to build on it.”