From USC glory to 3A Tacoma football. Meet Bellarmine Prep’s new football coach
He played for Pete Carroll’s national championship teams at USC in the early 2000s.
Bellarmine Prep’s new football coach knows a thing or two about winning. Hershel Dennis, who coached the past four seasons at Class 1A Life Christian in Tacoma, is the new coach of the Lions. Dennis was part of Pete Carroll’s national championship USC teams in the early 2000s and left as college football’s all-time winningest athlete, with a 70-8 record.
Before that, he was an All-American running back at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, amassing 3,846 yards and 56 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. At USC, Dennis was part of a stacked roster and running back room, with players like Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush. He was part of USC’s national title teams in 2003 and 2004.
His best season came in 2003, his sophomore season, but multiple knee injuries derailed his career in his later college seasons. He turned Life Christian into a contender in short order, coaching the Eagles to the 1A state tournament in each of the past three seasons. Now he’s headed down the road, onto a newer and bigger challenge at Class 3A Bellarmine Prep.
“I’m blessed,” Dennis told The News Tribune by phone on Monday. “The four years that I’ve been here at LCA, my staff was growing, the players were maturing. Everyone was just ready for a new challenge, I believe.