Dale Steele (South Carolina '76)
Head Coach
Sixth Year At Campbell
34 Years Coaching 

Dale Steele is starting his fourth season as the head coach at Campbell University in 2011 with this being his sixth year of being associated with the top position of the program. A veteran of 31 years of coaching at the collegiate level, he became the first football coach at Campbell in more than 50 years on June 15, 2006.

Under Steele’s watch Campbell has produced 20 All-Pioneer Football League selections in the team’s first three seasons, including nine last season. Campbell had four players that were either named to the first or second team in 2010. Mike Stryffeler, a tight end, became the school’s second First Team All-PFL selection. Named to the second team last season for Campbell was offensive tackle Sam Issermoyer, defensive lineman Randel Herring and defensive back Jared Hart. CU placed five more on the honor mention list. 

Campbell continued its rise upward in 2010. The team continued to show off the strong running game that has become commonplace in Buies Creek and led the conference and ranked among the top 20 team’s nationally in rushing. The team placed 16^th overall and averaged better than 200 yards on the ground a game (207.73). The Camels also set a modern day record for rushing yards (416) and points (55) in game against Valparaiso (11/6). The Camels topped the 200 yard rushing mark in three other games.

The Camels continued to stand out in the classroom and had a pair of players selected to the CoSIDA’s First Team Academic All-District for the second consecutive season in offensive lineman Andy Johnson and Mike Stryffeler. Both of those players along with four others (quarterback Daniel Polk, tight end Josh Owens, defensive lineman Charles Fiore and defensive back Paul Pizzuti) were selected to PFL Academic Team. The awards kept rolling in the spring as the Camels placed a total of 37 players on the PFL’s Academic Honor Roll.

 “We are extremely pleased that Coach Steele joined the University as head coach of the Fighting Camels football team, said Dr. Wallace, President of the University. “He is bringing to Campbell 30 years of much diversified coaching experience. Coach Steele is an extraordinarily talented and experienced individual whose range of skills will serve the University well as Campbell returns to the gridiron.”

Steele spent his first two years building the Fighting Camel program for competition in 2008 at the NCAA Division I FCS non-scholarship level in the Pioneer Football League. He joined the Campbell athletics staff after spending his previous two years as assistant head coach and running backs coach at Elon University.

Steele has overseen the entire program and the recruiting of five football signing classes and the building of the CU coaching staff.

“It’s a dream come true for my family and me and a tremendous opportunity,” said Steele. “As a family, we are so excited that we have been given this opportunity to be a part of a special time in the history of Campbell University with the reinstatement of football after a 56-year absence. We are very thankful to Dr. Wallace, Stan Williamson (former athletic director) and the Campbell family for selecting us to come to Buies Creek during such an exciting time in the university’s history."

“The plan is to come in and work as hard as we can, build the program one brick at a time with a solid framework from the bottom up,” said Coach Steele. “We want to construct a football program that will adhere to the mission of the university and stand the test of time.”

Coach Steele’s ties to North Carolina run deep. In addition to his most recent two-year stint at Elon, he spent a decade in Eastern North Carolina working on both the collegiate and prep levels. From the 1989-1994 seasons, he was an assistant coach at East Carolina, where he helped guide the Pirates to a pair of bowl berths under head coaches Bill Lewis and Steve Logan.

At ECU, Steele coached the wide receivers, he then took on recruiting coordinator duties from 1991-93. He was named assistant head coach in 1994 when the Pirates made a trip to the Liberty Bowl. ECU also won the 1991 Peach Bowl during his tenure.

Steele then spent four years (1995-98) as head football coach and athletic director at Northern Nash High School in Rocky Mount, N.C. He left that position in 1998 to assume duties as recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach at Baylor University, where his brother Kevin (now the defensive coordinator at Clemson) served as head coach. Following a four-year stint at Baylor, Steele moved on to East Tennessee State as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach for one year (2003) before accepting the job at Elon.

“It seems like I’ve been preparing for this moment for the last 28 years,” said Steele of his first head coaching opportunity on the collegiate level. “Everything I’m going to be asked to do in the building of this program, I’ve been exposed to over the last 28 years. I took this job in order to succeed and build something. It’s the right time in my career and Campbell is the right place. I wanted to be a head coach, but wanted to be a head coach when the time is right. I believe that now is the time and I am ready to be a head coach on this level."

Steele began his college coaching career at Ball State in 1977, where he worked with the offensive line while earning his master’s degree in physical education. He moved on to Wisconsin in 1978 as tight ends coach and head coach of the Badgers junior varsity squad.

He went on to spend two years at Tulane (1980-82) where he worked with tight ends, kickers and served as recruiting coordinator. In 1980, the Green Wave appeared in the Hall of Fame Bowl against Arkansas. After coaching one year at St. Charles High School (1983) in LaPlace, La., Steele moved on to Wichita State (1984-86), where he worked with the outside linebackers and tight ends.

Steele then moved on to Kansas State, where he oversaw tight ends and was offensive special teams coordinator in 1987 and coached wide receivers in 1988 before accepting the job at ECU.

The son of a high school coach, Steele participated in wrestling and football at Autauga County High School in Prattville, Ala., where he lettered three years in both sports. He is a 1976 graduate of South Carolina, where he walked on the football team and played both offensive and defensive line. Steele began his coaching career that same year as an assistant at A.C. Flora High School.

Steele and his wife, the former Pam Kilpatrick, have two daughters Meghan and Kelsey.

What other college football coaches say about Dale Steele:

“Dale is a good fit for Campbell University. The type of character he has, the type of person he is, is a very good fit first and foremost. He has what it takes to navigate the waters in starting the program. He has a lot of experience in different venues. Couple that with the fact that he is extremely organized and detailed, has a knack for recruiting and engaging people, he will be very successful for Campbell University. I have a son who is a freshman playing football in Division II, and Dale is the type person as a coach and as a member of the university faculty itself that you want teaching your child.”

-- Kevin Steele Defensive Coordinator/Clemson

“I have known Coach Dale Steele for years. We coached together at East Carolina University in 1989. Coach Steele was a wide receivers coach and I was the offensive coordinator. I really enjoyed working with him. He is a knowledgeable man and teacher and relates well with the athletes. He is a stickler for details and a guy you can always count on. I am happy for Dale and I wish him the best on his new position. Campbell made a wise decision on the hiring of Coach Steele.”

-- Mark Richt Head Coach / Georgia

The Dale Steele File

Full Name: Philip Dale Steele
Birthdate: August 17, 1955
Birthplace: York, Ala.
Wife: Pam
Children: Meghan, Kelsey
College: South Carolina (1976)
Degree: B.S. (Physical Education)
Graduate School: Ball State (1978)
Master’s Degree: M.A. (Physical Education)
High School: Autauga County (Prattville, Ala.) High School
Playing Background: Three years at South Carolina (offensive guard and defensive lineman)

Steele’s Coaching History
2006-present
Head Coach, Campbell University
2004-06
Assistant Head Coach / Running Backs, Elon
2003
Assistant Head Coach / Wide Receivers, East Tennessee State
1999-2002
Recruiting Coordinator / Wide Receivers, Baylor
1995-1998
Head Football Coach / Athletic Director, Northern Nash High School (Rocky Mount, N.C.)
1989-1995
Assistant Coach / East Carolina
1994 / Assistant Head Coach
1991-93 / Wide Receivers, Recruiting Coordinator
1989-90 / Wide Receivers
1987-88
Assistant Coach / Kansas State
1988 / Wide Receivers
1987 / Tight Ends, Offensive Special Teams Coordinator
1984-86
Assistant Coach / Wichita State
1985-86 / Tight Ends
1984 / Outside Linebackers
1983
Assistant Football Coach / St. Charles High School (LaPlace, La.)
1980-82
Assistant Coach / Tulane
1982 / Tight Ends, Recruiting Coordinator
1981 / Tight Ends, Kickers
1980 / Varsity Offensive Line Assistant, Freshman Offensive Line Coach
1978-79
Assistant Coach / Wisconsin
1979 / Varsity Offensive Ends, Head Junior Varsity Coach
1978 / Assistant Offensive Interior Line
1977
Graduate Assistant Coach / Ball State
Freshman Offensive Line Coach, Varsity Interior Line Coach
1976
Assistant Varsity Coach / A.C. Flora High School (Columbia, S.C.)