Hot on the Gridiron

Football coach Darwin Breaux caps a season of triumphs

November 18, 2008

Darwin Breaux, Dickinson's head football coach since 1993, on the sidelines at the Nov. 1 homecoming game against Muhlenberg College.

It was a landmark year for Dickinson's football team and coach Darwin Breaux.

Breaux finished his 16th season as head coach of the Red Devils with an overall record of 102 wins, 62 losses and one tie.

Breaux reached the 100-win mark with a home 29-16 victory over Gettysburg College on Oct. 25. Just five weeks prior, the team achieved two other firsts. On Sept. 19, the team, playing on the newly renovated Biddle Field in the college's first-ever night home game, defeated Franklin & Marshall College, 34-20. In addition to being the 1,000th football game for Dickinson, it was the 100th meeting between the Red Devils and the Diplomats.

Breaux surpassed his mentor, Ed Sweeney, as the coach with the most victories in 2001. Sweeney, who coached from 1985-92, amassed an overall record of 56 wins, 23 losses and three ties, followed by Wilbur "Goby" Gobrecht '52(52-76-7, 1965-79; 1984).

"Only two other Dickinson football coaches have more than 50 wins, so to reach the 100-win milestone in just 16 years is unprecedented," said Athletics Director Les Poolman. "Darwin is an extremely hard-working, dedicated, passionate and humble football coach who seldom wants to draw attention to himself. The wins in his career have never been about him; they are always team wins. Personal recognition and accolades are unimportant to him. He would rather pay tribute to his players and coaches."

And so he did.

"Over the years our offensive and defensive schemes have changed, but we have always had dedicated, disciplined, team-oriented and committed student-athletes," said Breaux, who has coached 17 All-Americans and was named American Football Coaches Association South Region Coach of the Year in 1994 after leading Dickinson to a 10-0 season and an NCAA playoff appearance. "Ed Sweeney established the program, and we have tried to keep it on track. Having continuity in our dedicated coaching staff has been one of the keys to our success."

Such success, Breaux added, could not have taken place without the proper setting or people.

"Dickinson College has been a perfect place to work and raise a family," he said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to work with our student-athletes over the years. These young men have taken the program to its current level. One of the goals of our program is to have the athletic experience enhance the overall Dickinson experience. It is our hope that student-athletes can draw on their football experience to help them through challenging situations in the future."