Ross Dillard has a resume befitting a head football coach. In fact, he’s had one for several years.
But he never felt the timing was right when it came to pursuing his first head coaching position — for himself or his family.
Dillard was waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself.
He just found it.
Dillard was confirmed as the new head football coach and athletic coordinator for Memorial High School during a Wichita Falls ISD board meeting Monday, April 13.
It’s a promotion for the longtime assistant coach who has spent the past 11 years as a defensive coordinator — first at Rider and then Memorial.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Dillard said. “I think this is the right thing for the kids, continuing the culture that we’ve put in place in this program.”
Dillard inherits the Memorial program from Marc Bindel, who left to be the head football coach at Celina in March. Bindel spent 12 seasons leading WFISD football programs, and Dillard was by his side each year.
The Mavericks have gone a combined 16-7 in their two seasons of existence, qualifying for the postseason each year.
Dillard was actually Bindel’s first official hire when the latter was named head coach in 2014. Dillard was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2015.
Spending more than a few years as a coordinator at a high-profile Class 5A program like Rider naturally put Dillard in consideration to be a head coach at numerous programs.
However, his interest never went past an innocent phone call about a potential job — that is, until Bindel emerged as the top candidate to take over the Celina program.
“There was some interest from other programs at times in my career, but the timing never felt right,” Dillard said. “I was in such a good situation here. I was part of a great staff, and my family loved being in Wichita Falls.
“When the dynamic is really good with the people you’re working with, you don’t want to ever give that up. There’s just so many unknowns when you move around. We have something special in Wichita Falls.”
Dillard is finishing his 21st season as a high school football coach. He and his wife, Erin, have three kids, including 17-year-old Layla — a senior at Memorial due to graduate in May. They also have 16-year-old daughter, Drue — a sophomore at Memorial — and 10-year-old son, Rhett.
Dillard is a 1999 Iowa Park graduate, playing under legendary coach Weldon Nelms, who he credits with leading him toward the coaching profession.
Dillard graduated the same year from Iowa Park as Bindel did from Wichita Falls High. Dillard is also quick to point out that Iowa Park defeated Old High, 21-7, during their senior years.
“We actually don’t talk about it much, but we did beat them our senior year,” Dillard said. “We knew each other and played spring-league basketball together. I’ve learned a lot from Marc being his assistant, and it means a lot to me to be the guy chosen to take this program from him and continue to build on the foundation here.”
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Ross Dillard earns promotion as Memorial’s new head football coach
Reporting by Jonathan Hull, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
