This offseason started like normal for the Waldorf football team, but university leaders were sent scrambling when Chase Paramore decided to leave in June for a new opportunity. That put into motion a plan to make the longest-tenured assistant coach, Tyler Chapa, the interim head coach for the 2023 season.
“(Waldorf University) is so thankful to have Tyler Chapa, a veteran coach, lead the charge at this time,” said university athletic director Chad Gassman to KIOW on June 6th.
Chapa, a former NCAA Division I defensive back, played for Abilene Christian from 2013-2015. He finished his playing career for Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, before getting his start as a coach for the same university.
Chapa arrived in Forest City before the start of the 2019 season and now has worked his way up to interim head coach.
Chapa:
Chapa, a defensive specialist, has hired a group of offensive coaches, including promoting coach Ethan Aune to offensive coordinator.
Quarterback – Jordan Cooper:
Waldorf announced on July 24th, along with the promotion of coach Aune, that they had hired Lamont Brown as offensive passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach and Danny Donadio as quarterbacks/punters/kick returners coach.
According to the release from the university, Brown comes to Waldorf from Shelton, Connecticut as a technical recruiter for Butler America Aerospace LLC. He played football and received his bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University.
“Coach Brown brings not only coaching experience but Division I playing experience. With that, I believe that he is going to be a great leader and a great teacher on the offensive side of the ball,” Chapa said.
Donadio joined the Warrior staff following four and a half years as the offensive coordinator/passing game coordinator at Simi Valley High School in Simi Valley, California, and spent a year at the College of the Redwoods as assistant offensive coordinator, wide receivers, and special teams assistant. Donadio received his Kinesiology and Exercise Science degree with an emphasis in Teaching and Coaching from Humboldt State University in 2014.
“Coach Donadio brings a ton of coaching experience to the table. When we were first getting to know him, his energy and enthusiasm for the game of football stood out immediately”, said Chapa in the university release.
Defensive Back Kasen Handal:
Jordan Cooper will be back under center for the Warriors when they take the field. Cooper missed the end of last season, and all of the spring hurt. Coach Chapa said that Cooper has taken rehab in stride and has done exactly what he needed to do to get healthy.
Chapa:
Jordan Cooper:
Defensively, a group of guys return to the Waldorf lineup, including junior Kasen Handal from Tomball, TX. Handal has 70 tackles in 19 games the past two seasons for Waldorf, and this year will help lead a group that will have a fair share of new guys.
Kasen Handle:
With all the changes and things going on with the program, it takes a strong leadership group of players that take pride in the program. Chapa says he feels the leadership from both players and coaches has been great.
Chapa:
The Waldorf football season opens Saturday when the Warriors play Briair Cliff at Bolstorff Field. Waldorf’s last loss to the Chargers was in 2018 – 40-13. The game is set to kickoff at 6:00 PM with community events before and fireworks following the game.
