Doug Dunn Hired As Steelville High School Girls Basketball Coach

(Steelville) Steelville High School has announced that Doug Dunn will be the new girls basketball head coach. Dunn has 20 years of educational experience as a teacher, coach and administrator. In 2005, Dunn coached the Chadwick Lady Cardinals to the Class 1 state title and, in 2004, Chadwick finished third in the state. Dunn tells us why he wanted to get back into coaching after spending the last 10 years in administration.

Dunn, a two-time state coach of the year, says he wants the Lady Cardinals to play a disciplined style of basketball.

Dunn was a student manager with the Missouri State Lady Bears from 1999-2001. With coach Cheryl Burnett and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Jackie Stiles, the Lady Bears went to the Final Four in 2001. Dunn tells us about his journey since taking the Chadwick job back in 2004.

Dunn takes over a program that has won five district titles in six years and finished third in Class 3 in 2021. He understands the expectations that come with being a Steelville Lady Cardinal, and Dunn wants to keep the expectations high.

Dunn, originally from Willow Springs, spent the last three years as the Junior High Principal and Athletic Director at Licking, a common opponent of Steelville. He recalls a state playoff game between the two schools, and seeing the size of the crowd that showed up to support Steelville, as being one of the things that drew him to his new job.

Dunn’s wife, Julie, is a middle school counselor in Salem where their three children attend school. Zach Kennedy left the job after two years as head coach to take over as Athletic Director, Head Girls Track and Assistant Football Coach at Osceola High School.

Full interview: