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Dale Smith applied for the New Hope-Solebury football coaching job when Jim DiTulio resigned after the 2020 season but didn’t get it.
Four years later, Smith became the Lions’ football coach when he was confirmed at Thursday night’s New Hope-Solebury School Board meeting.
Smith, 46, was DiTulio’s run game coordinator for the final six (2015-20) of DiTulio’s 14 years as the school’s first football coach. After spending 2021 as Lower Moreland’s offensive coordinator and 2022-24 as Wissahickon’s run game coordinator, Smith is looking forward to his new gig at a familiar place.
“I am excited to be returning to New Hope,” said Smith on Friday. “I always loved it.”
New Hope athletic director PJ Scarpello said Smith’s “passion and desire to coach here” stood out during the interview process.
“He impressed the committee with his focus on developing all of our football players to be the best student-athletes they can be,” Scarpello said. “Dale comes off as a genuine soul that wants to do good by everyone.”
A 1997 Reading High graduate, Smith played college football at Division III Delaware Valley (offensive line) and also was an assistant at Great Valley, North Catholic, Archbishop Carroll and Pottstown during his 23-year high school coaching career.
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Smith replaces Ian Bell, who didn’t return after a 2-9 season in which the Lions lost to Bristol 36-0 in the District One Class 2A championship game (there are only two AA football-playing schools in the district).
“With me, what you see is what you get,” said Smith, a special education teacher at Lower Moreland and a Doylestown Township resident. “I’m very passionate about the things I do. That’s just how I am.”
Smith has been watching film and said juniors Colin Foster (running back/defensive back), Jacob Peterson (running back) and Chase Lumio (quarterback) already caught his attention.
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“Everything starts up front,” he said. “We’ve got to drastically get stronger.”
Smith plans on reaching out to the middle school in an effort to get more kids to continue playing at the varsity level for a school that graduated 104 students in June.
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA High School Football: New Hope-Solebury hires Dale Smith as head coach