He is Dan Pippin, 28, who comes back to Iosco County via Cincinnati, Ohio where he was the offensive coordinator at Madeira High School.
Pippin was officially hired Monday by the Tawas Area Schools Board of Education as a special education teacher and head varsity football coach.
He was chosen from a field of more than 40 candidates many of whom were from out of state. A committee of school district administrators selected Pippin from five of the candidates who were interviewed.
"My first head coaching job is 45 minutes from where I grew up," Pippin said. 'You can't ask for anything more than that."
Pippin replaces long-time Tawas coach Dick Look, who retired from coaching in January, after 29 years on the sidelines. Look is devoting his time as the high school's assistant principal and athletic director.
A 1986 graduate of Oscoda Area High School, Pippin continued in football at St. Joseph College in Indiana where he was awarded a four-year scholarship and was captain of the football team his senior year. A center, he was two-year member of the All-Conference team.
He started coaching football in 1990 at Grand Valley High School in Orwell, Ohio as an assistant where he stayed for two years. Pippin then became the offensive coordinator at Georgetown High School in South Carolina.
Wanting to move closer to home, he grew up in Mikado, Pippin accepted the offensive coordinator position at Madeira High School.
Pippin also had been a head wrestling coach at the high schools.
As for following Coach Look, Pippin says he has some "extremely big shoes to fill. But he has bent over backwards to show me the ropes."
As for what Tawas fans can expect from this fall's squad, Pippin said the defense should remain the same. There will be offensive changes, he said.
He said fans can expect to see about 20-25 runs a game with 30-40 passes.
"I want to restart the program," he said. "When I played in Oscoda, Tawas was the school. I hated Tawas because they always won.
They were first or second in the league. We need to get back to that."
He's looking forward to renewing the rivalry with Oscoda and coaching against his former defensive coordinator Pete Bovan, now Oscoda's head coach.
Pippin said he's in the process of interviewing assistants and should have them hired by June.
He also wants to start a Pee-Wee football camp this summer for the youngsters. "We need to get the kids more involved," he said.
Pippin will start a weight training program with his players this summer -- "we need to get bigger."
Practice starts for the team Aug. 12.
Pippin and his wife, Laura, have two children, Amanda, 8 and McKinley, 2.
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