CHESTER, PA- February 23, 2023 - The Chester Upland School District is pleased to announce that Dennis Shaw has been named the next head coach of the Chester Clippers varsity football team.
Shaw, a standout running back who played for West Catholic Preparatory High School, led the team to its first championship in 50 years, while earning first team all-state honors his senior year.
Since joining the Clippers coaching staff in 2015, Shaw has served in several capacities, including as head coach for the junior varsity team, and most recently as assistant coach under LaDontay Bell who stepped down from the top position in December 2022 to serve as the district’s athletic director.
Speaking on the decision to hire Shaw, Bell highlighted several key factors that stood out to the selection committee. “I think that Coach Dennis enjoys working with our youth, and he provides the consistency that I think is important and what our players and this program needs,” said Bell. “As a member of the selection committee, we had a team in place to look at the strengths and weaknesses of potential candidates and what would be best for our student-athletes. Coach Dennis is what we think is best because he’s been a part of what we’ve built these last several years.”
Shaw’s coaching history and influence on the city’s youth extends beyond his tenure with the Chester Clippers. Frequently called The Voice for the youth because of his willingness to listen and advocate for the children, Shaw has also coached several youth football programs including the Upland Hurricanes, Chichester Crusaders, Chester Panthers, and Chester Cougars. Under his leadership, each of these programs had championship seasons.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this team as head coach,” said Shaw. “I’ve coached for every feeder program in the city and have worked with Coach Bell and all of the coaching staff to create a culture of winning. While it’s great to be recognized for all of the work I’ve put into this program, there’s so much more we can accomplish and build on.”
In following with his desire to accomplish more for the program, to date, Shaw has brought recruiters from Rutgers University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Boston College to the district.
“One of my goals is to build our program’s reputation,” said Shaw. “We want to keep our kids here, in the district. The city has always had the talent but we have to work on creating opportunities for them to reach their dreams after high school. We are developing a winning program that attracts the attention of nationally ranked college programs. We are developing student-athletes who are prepared to succeed in every area of life.