Dan Loney was announced as the new Atascadero Football Head Coach on Monday. Not only does he have history at Atascadero Memorial Stadium as a player, but as a four-year starter for Cal Poly as well. His roots are tied here in San Luis Obispo County.
After graduating from Atascadero in 1996, Loney received a full-ride scholarship to Cal Poly as an offensive lineman and is using his experience as a student athlete in the community to take over the program.
“It gives me a different perspective on what it feels like to go through what they're going through every day, the sacrifices that that they have to make every day to be that student-athlete of how to manage your time between being an athlete, being a student, it helps me relate to those guys like that," Loney said.
The Greyhounds were four-peat CIF Southern Section Champions from '93-'96, with the former Mustang contributing to the Greyhound’s success his junior and senior years on varsity in 1994 and 1995.
“There was always a rich tradition of being kind of just a hard-nosed type of school," Loney spoke of the program. "Didn't matter how big we were or how small we were, but we were always tough and we always just came out and and gave it our all.”
From gray and orange to Mustang green, Loney made his contributions to Cal Poly as soon as he stepped foot on campus.
“He walked into Cal Poly is one of their strongest athletes as a freshman, which was a testament to what he did, testament to Coach Welsh and the program that was here before," Atascadero Athletic Director Sam DeRose said.
After graduating from Cal Poly in 1999, Loney signed with the San Jose SaberCats in 2001 and helped lead the AFL team to four arena bowl appearances and took home three championships. His hard-nose ways are how he plans to lead the team, but it'll be familiar to the players in the locker room.
“They have a familiarity with me, they know where I come from and they know what my expectations are," the former SaberCat said. "And so, that transition is going to be easier."
“In terms of transition, he's taking on the traditions, but he's going to make his own mark," DeRose complimented. "And he's started to do that when he came back. We're very, very fortunate to have him.”
With Vic Cooper’s departure, Loney hopes to add more CIF titles to the trophy case. The Greyhound football team currently holds eight with 2022 being their most recent victory.
“I just hope I can make him proud," the football standout said. "He's been here a long time. He's put a lot of a lot of blood, sweat and tears. And in this program. I just hope I can make him proud and keep the tradition going”
Sam DeRose was on the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball when Loney attended Atascadero High School. He then followed the offensive lineman to Cal Poly joining the coaching staff over in San Luis Obispo. Like magnets, they're back to where they started. On Atascadero Memorial Field, together, with different roles but with the same goal.
“I don't think you could have a better American football story than that and I don't know that any of us scripted that out," DeRose smiled. When you look back at the whole process it was a journey, right? And he knows he paid his dues.”
