Git ’er Dunne: New coach fixing program at Marist

Terry Brennan was 21 years old when he was hired as the head football coach at Mount Carmel in 1950. In three years, with no previous coaching experience, he won 36 of 42 games. At 25, he was hired as an assistant at Notre Dame. One year later, he succeeded Frank Leahy as head coach.

‘‘I’ll always be remembered as the coach of the team that posted the greatest upset in college football history,’’ Brennan said of Notre Dame’s 7-0 victory over Oklahoma in 1957 that snapped the Sooners’ record 47-game winning streak. ‘‘I’m 79 and I still get several requests each month to sign autographs. I have three separate highlight films of the game.’’

Pat Dunne can only hope that his career will be as meteoric. As Marist’s first-year coach, the 27-year-old is retooling a program at a school that hasn’t known much success in the last 20 years.

Going into Saturday’s East Suburban Catholic game at Nazareth, Marist is 3-0 and off to perhaps its best start since Tony Pietrzak’s 1986 team finished second in the state playoffs. The RedHawks have qualified for the playoffs once since 1996, and had one winning season since 1998.

‘‘Our philosophy is all about hard work,” Dunne said. ‘‘I wish there was an easy path, but our kids have worked hard from day one. Our focus every day is to get better. We do what we can control, not what others are doing. The biggest thing was to change attitudes, that through hard work good things will happen.”

Dunne, a 1998 Marist graduate, was a kicker-punter at Lake Forest College. He had a cup of coffee at the Bears and Colts training camps and also had a short stint in NFL Europe. His dream of being the next George Blanda ended in 2004.

He served as Marist’s head sophomore coach for two years, took one year off to run a sports performance training program, then answered his alma mater’s call.

‘‘I wondered if they would hire someone so young,” he said. ‘‘I was surprised but I wanted to get back and help the program. I’m fortunate that I coached this group of seniors as sophomores, when they were 7-1-1 and won the conference. I felt they were winners.”

Dunne brought in college teammates Mike Fitzgerald and Marty Quinn to run the offense and defense, respectively. And he introduced a new training program designed to enhance speed and agility.

Marist features a spread offense triggered by senior quarterback Mike Perish, running back Billy Seiler, tackles Bob Bullington (6-3, 265 pounds) and Justin Schilling (6-3, 245) and receiver Nick Valla. Dunne said Seiler, who has 4.4 speed, and Bullington are attracting Division I interest.

The defense is anchored by 6-1, 270-pound nose guard Nabal Jefferson, who recently committed to Northern Illinois, linebacker Tim Kingsbury, whose uncles played at St. Rita, cornerback Dave Pirkle and safety Joe LaRocco.

‘‘We still have a long way to go,” Dunne said. ‘‘Is it difficult to be so young and coach 17-year-olds? We stress positive attitude throughout the program. The kids know I won’t tolerate not working hard, not giving 100 percent on every play. Otherwise a kid is cheating himself and the team.’’