Loren Dawson

Loren Dawson

Loren Dawson enters his 13th season at the helm of Austin College football in 2022. After having previously served as defensive coordinator for the Kangaroos, coach Dawson returned to Austin College after having served during the 2008 and 2009 seasons as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Colorado School of Mines with head coach Bob Stitt, former Austin College offensive coordinator.

Dawson has 20 years of coaching experience and is no stranger to the Austin College community. His association with Austin College started in 1987 when he played one season for the Kangaroos under legendary coach Mel Tjeerdsma.Dawson returned to the Austin College community in 2002, and through the 2007 season, served as the defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator, under previous head coaches David Norman and Ronnie Gage. Dawson also served as an assistant professor in the Austin College Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

A 1993 graduate of Arizona State University, Dawson also earned his master’s degree in education at ASU in 1998. Dawson served as a graduate assistant coaching the running backs at Midwestern State University in 1993 before taking the role of head football coach at Bourgade Catholic High School in Phoenix for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He had previously served as an assistant coach at Bourgade Catholic from 1990-1992. Dawson went on to serve as the assistant athletics director and assistant head football coach at Phoenix College.

In his time at Austin College, Dawson has made tremendous strides in growing the program. The roster, which had consistently numbered in the 80s before his arrival, has grown to well over 100 student-athletes each season, including more than 120 players in each of the past several seasons. From 2013-2015, the program posted 15 victories - the most over a three year span at Austin College since 1990-1992.

During that period, the 'Roos have twice had the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's leading rusher (Bryce Murphy, 2013; Madison Ross, 2015), and numerous student-athletes have earned All-Conference accolades and SCAC Academic Honor Roll recognition, including the 2015-2016 SCAC Man of the Year Award winner, Madison Ross and the 2015 SCAC Special Teams Player of the Year, Cooper Woodyard. He also coached Colt Collins, a three-year starter at quarterback, to All-Southern Athletic Association honors and a career that saw Collins rewrite the 'Roo football record book, breaking virtually every passing record in program history.

In addition to his coaching experience, Dawson has been active in community service, including coordination of the Austin College football team’s community service efforts, and is a Lector at St. Mary's Church. Loren and his wife Stephanie live in Sherman and have tww children, Gaven and Faith.