After twelve seasons, West Liberty-Salem’s Dan McGill has decided it’s time to step away from being the head coach of the Tigers football team.
Being a head football coach is a year-round commitment and doing that grind for over a decade was starting to take its toll. McGill said he’s “ready for a break”.
McGill saved his best for last as the Tigers had their most successful season in school history in 2024. They went 9-1 while securing the OHC North title and then went on a historic playoff run. WL-S ripped through Arcanum and Miami East in the first two rounds. They outlasted Waynesville 45-42 at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium in Round 3 advancing to the Regional Final where they would meet Indian Lake. On a cold, wet, windy night in Piqua, the Tigers took down the Lakers 21-14 and advanced to the State Semifinals for the first time. A week later they ran into the #1 team in the state (and eventual State Champion) Ironton who ended the Tigers season.
His coaching career started 25 years ago. All but one of those seasons has been at West Liberty-Salem. His first year, 1999, he was an assistant at Bellefontaine. In 2000, he joined the Tigers staff as an assistant coach which he did for 8 years. In 2008 he took his coaching skills to the younger students coaching youth football until he was hired to be the varsity head coach for the 2013 season.
He racked up 97 wins in his 12 years with just 41 losses and they only had one losing season (2021). He won 4 OHC Championships and the Tigers made the playoffs 9 times under his watch (13-9 record), making the Regional Final four times, and the State Semifinals once (2024).
McGill will continue to teach at West Liberty-Salem High School.