From USC glory to 3A Tacoma football. Meet Bellarmine Prep’s new football coach

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.”

Dennis replaces Brian Jensen, who stepped down after 11 years as the program’s head coach and 22 years on the staff.

Dennis said the winning formula at Life Christian is something he feels he can carry over to Bellarmine.

“It’s not a hard recipe,” he said. “Being connected to the community, getting some ball players. Get the players and coach them up. God blessed me with some families (at LCA) who valued the private school environment, and we had enough numbers to be competitive.”

In a statement, Bellarmine Prep said it’s “excited” to welcome Dennis to campus.

“Coach Dennis brings a proven track record of building successful programs, along with a deep commitment to character, academic achievement, and the development of young men,” it says. “His belief in using football as a vehicle for leadership and personal growth aligns strongly with our mission. We are confident he will have a meaningful impact on our student athletes and our school community.”

While Dennis enjoyed plenty of success at Life Christian, he said there were a few limitations, from playing in the 1A classification to facilities. The school has a practice field that’s about half the size of a regulation football field.

Practicing on 100 yards will be a joy, Dennis said.

“That’s probably No. 1, to be honest,” Dennis said, laughing. “We were limited with a lot of stuff, but we didn’t complain about it, we didn’t cry about it, we were grateful. We had a mindset of, it doesn’t matter if we have 25 players and a 50-foot field, we’re gonna show up and get the work done.”

Dennis said he’s most excited about some of the matchups on the horizon, particularly the Tacoma rivalries. While the 1A Nisqually league was improving and had solid local competition with Puyallup’s Cascade Christian and Tacoma’s Annie Wright, the 3A Puget Sound League is home to Mount Tahoma, Lincoln, Lakes, Gig Harbor, Peninsula and others.

“Those were the matchups I was trying to line up while I was (at LCA),” Dennis said. “That’s what gets us better as players, coaches, staff. That’s one of the biggest things I’m really excited about. Key matchups in the city, having the opportunity to build a team, hopefully get to the state tournament and play Eastside Catholic, O’Dea and those teams.”

Dennis said he’s felt the love already from the Bellarmine community and was approached and congratulated over the weekend by people he hadn’t met before.

“I see how important it is, how much support is behind the program,” he said. “It’s a place where everything is in order, everything is in place for you to be successful. I just want to add my flavor, be who I am and build off the rich tradition.”

In the statement, Bellarmine thanked former coach Brian Jensen.

“Under his leadership, the Bellarmine Lions earned multiple league titles and numerous playoff appearances,” the statement continued. “These accomplishments reflect not only competitive excellence, but also the discipline, teamwork, and perseverance that embody the spirit of the program’s motto, ‘More Than Winning.’”