Francis Dunn - College Coach

College Coach

To earn extra money while attending law school, Dunn took a part time job as the head football coach for the Dickinson College. He held this position for the 1915 and 1917 seasons. The 1915 season did not do well for the Red and White. Due lack of talent and size the team finished with a record of 0-9-1. Seven of the eleven starters weighed less than 150 lbs. The team did not score in the first five game and only scored 44 points total for the season. Dunn’s team did manage a 0-0 tie with Western Maryland College in the first game of the season. For the 1916 season Forrest Craver, who had been serving as an advisor to the team, returned as head coach but hired Dunn as his Field Coach. He also hired J. Reap, a former Villanova football player, to assist with the line. In addition the team talent got a boost when Dunn convinced Gus Welch, considered one of best players at Carlisle Indian Industrial School, to join the team. The team finished with a 4-3-2 record. One of the ties was against Swarthmore College, a team that had beaten national powers Penn and Columbia. Dickinson came from behind when Welsh tied the game with 5 seconds remaining. Dunn returned to Head Coach for the 1917 season after Forrest Craver and took a coaching position at the Tome School in Port Deposit, Maryland. Due to World War I, few member of the 1917 team returned many choosing to join the military. Dunn coached the 1917 squad to the first undefeated and untied season Dickinson history. His overall coaching record at Dickinson was 5 wins, 8 losses, and 1 ties. As of 2008 this ranks him 20th at Dickinson in terms of total wins and 20th at Dickinson in terms of winning percentage.