Westport seizes on past to bank on ’08
By CANDACE BUCKNER
The Kansas City Star
In efforts to revive its football program, Westport has called upon a hall of fame coach from its past.
Dan Stanley, who started his coaching career at Westport in 1964, returns to a familiar role at age 72.
“I had a few opportunities at other schools, but I had good feelings about Westport because that’s where I got my start,” said Stanley, who recently spent three years as an assistant coach at Pembroke Hill. “Westport has been struggling, so I wanted to return to see if we can make a difference.”
For 49 years, Stanley has coached high school and college football. After earning his first head job at Westport, Stanley was the first football coach at Winnetonka, where he stayed for 26 years. In 1994, the Missouri Football Coaches Association inducted Stanley into its hall of fame, and he remained busy with stops at William Jewell College, Missouri Valley College and Shawnee Mission North among others. Now Stanley has a rebuilding challenge with a Westport team that has won one game in the last two years.
“We have high expectations,” Stanley said, “but the biggest thing, I want these kids to walk away from Westport football and say, ‘That was a wonderful experience.’”
Stanley’s arrival seems to have sparked nostalgia. Alumni have chipped in to repaint the athletic locker room, and another former student offered to take team photos. Other alumni, as recent as the class of 2000 and a player Stanley coached 44 years ago, are filling roles as Tiger assistants.
“We’re excited and the kids are excited,” Stanley said. “We have some real fine young men. I really like the kids we have, we have real good support by our administration and that is going to help.”
Westport opened practice with 25 players, but Stanley hoped to reach 35 by the time school started. Returning players include seniors Aaron Childress, Paul Stirgus and Jonathan Clayborne and juniors Brian Townsend and Chris Garcia.
The Tigers open the season at 7 p.m. Friday at Odessa.
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