Ty Tilden
Staff Writer
A bright summer day finds Josh Dill inspiring the youth to grow. As he critiques and provides recommendations, his players can relate, he makes sure he’s a real person before he’s a coach. Dill spends much of his time expanding the football skills of Sandy’s players. For him, it’s a year round endeavor. Coaching is his chance to be a good influence; it’s his chance to incite change.
“I went to college thinking I was going to get into business like most kids do. And I was not very good. And then I took an education class,” Dill said. Getting into the teaching world seemed at first accidental, but now Dill had been in the industry for 19 years and teaches physical education at SHS.
“I’ve always loved PE; I’ve always loved working with kids. I really love health. I have a degree in health as well. So once I took an education class, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he said.
Dill doesn’t just teach physical education; he is well-known for his role as head varsity coach of the football team. “I love the game of football. I wasn’t thinking I would be a head football coach until my senior year of college when my coach mentioned that I would have been a really good coach. It kind of went from there,” he said. Dill’s passion for football comes from the players.
“It’s such a unique sport in that it takes so many different skill sets to be successful. And so many different types of people [are needed] to be successful,” Dill said. Dill can find appreciation and empathy for the players, something that makes him the coach he is today.
Dill studied at Linfield College and played football while he was there. He learned from “character driven coaches that cared about you as a person first” which is another factor that contributes to his current coaching style.
“Coaching football gave me a platform to speak into the lives of my players and the community and to try to instill values of character, integrity, and hard work,” Dill said.
Football provides an outlook for positivity for Dill. “Society tells us that we should be divided by our differences. And we’re trying to be united by what our commonalties are, and learn from each other,” he said.
When Dill isn’t coaching, he lives the life of a family man. He has three children and has been married to his wife for 18 years. Dill is also a fan of the Portland Trailblazers.
“Beyond coaching, there isn’t a whole lot of time for much else. I just love it. Just an opportunity to be around these kids in this time of their life. Yeah, I love coaching football and being a part of my kids’ lives,” he said.
Coaching is more than just another job for Dill. Each time he finds himself on the field, working with his players, the passion and devotion he pours into the sport shines through to his coaching, bettering him and his players.
The Pioneer Press 