A few months back, Coach Matthew Dence stepped down as Head Football Coach, passing the torch of the successful football team to Assistant Coach Kyle Donahue.
This year marks Coach Dence’s 26th year as a coach. He began coaching at universities like Yale, Amherst, Georgetown and then joined Germantown Academy in 2012 as the Head Football Coach.
“It’s been the best thing I’ve ever done professionally,” Coach Dence said. “I loved my time here.”
When Coach Dence began working here, football was not as popular a sport as it is now, with only about 27 young men on the roster. So, with his hard work and dedication, he expanded the team while also making it more successful and competitive.
“When I first started, kids would ask me if we would beat Penn Charter, but now the expectation is that we are going to beat Penn Charter,” Coach Dence said.
One of Coach Dence’s most memorable games was his second year, in 2013, when GA football beat Penn Charter. They had not beaten Penn Charter in years, so winning this game was not only a great accomplishment for the football team but for all of the seniors, alumni and faculty that year.
GA’s rivalry with Penn Charter and other schools has driven Coach Dence as a coach these past 12 years.
“I love the Inter-Ac because there are so many good rivalry games,” Coach Dence said. “The cool part about the Inter-Ac is I have respect for every team we play and every coach that I’ve coached against because they’re so passionate about what they do.”
Since football has been such a significant part of Coach Dence’s life, he believes that it has made him a better person overall.
“Football has taught me to be humble, and it has given me a lot of patience,” Coach Dence said. “It has taught me to be more understanding because you always have to keep on working because things aren’t always just going to happen for you as fast as you want.”
As Coach Dence’s football coaching career at GA comes to an end, he is proud of all of the accomplishments that he made at GA.
With Coach Donahue becoming the Head Coach now, Coach Dence hopes to share his knowledge and experience with him.
Coach Dence coached Coach Donahue, so Coach Donahue taking over for Coach Dence is a proud moment for Coach Dence and GA.
“He’s one of the most talented coaches I’ve ever been around, whether it’s division one college or high school, ” Coach Dence said. “I could not be more pleased with the choice that was made.”
Even though the next season is months away, Coach Donahue is already planning.
“I know the whole roster, and it’s about planning for the summer and our preseason to make sure each player knows what they want to improve on so we can take it one day at a time,” Coach Donahue said. “We have a very exciting schedule, and we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves; we’re just going to try to be the best team we can be.”
To help the team become successful, he plans to initiate a team culture of full presence. That way, the team is always focused, whether it be on the football field or at school.
“We’re always going to be actively engaged in the practice, weightlifting, training, conditioning, whatever we’re doing,” Coach Donahue said.
Coach Matthew Dence’s remarkable 26-year coaching career, culminating at Germantown Academy, has left a lasting mark on the football program. His passion for football has set a strong foundation for incoming Head Coach Kyle Donahue. As the torch passes, Coach Dence’s legacy of humility, patience, and love for the game will continue to resonate in the spirit of the Germantown Academy football program under Coach Donahue’s leadership.