Dwayne Savage didn’t need to do much research when the head coaching job at Camden Catholic High School opened up.
Having coached at Camden High School for the last decade, the Irish appeared on the schedule many times during Savage’s tenure.
“I’m really excited about it,” Savage said of being hired as the new coach of the high school’s football program. Savage, who parted ways with Camden High School after the 2021 season, said he was looking forward to coaching at a school known for it’s rich tradition of football, athletics and excellent academics.
“Coach Savage has always guided his players to great confidence and success both on the field and in the classroom, especially in his experience in leading Camden High School’s football program for the past ten years,” Camden Catholic said in a statement announcing Savage’s hiring.
“In his tenure, he has produced five NFL players, four Division 1 Football coaches, and more than 100 Division I, Division II and Division III football players. He was named Coach of the Year in 2019. The future of Irish Football is bright, and Coach Savage is eager to join the CCHS community and make great things happen in the charism of honor, faith and loyalty,” the school said.
Savage coached the Panthers to a combined 71-31 record, which included seven playoff wins and three trips to the South Jersey sectional final. His teams reached the playoffs seven times out of nine possible seasons as there were no playoffs in 2020, and he failed to reach a .500 record just once at Camden.
Savage takes over a Camden Catholic program that has a combined 12-24 record over the last four years.
The Irish are coming off a 6-4 season but will face a much more challenging schedule this year with Haddonfield, West Deptford, Timber Creek and others on the slate.
“It’s a tough schedule to start off with, but that’s what you want. You want to play the best to be the best. That’s always been my philosophy,” Savage said.
That philosophy dates back to 1987, when Savage won a South Jersey Group 3 championship as a player with Rancocas Valley High School under legendary coach Bruce Lazaruk. It still stands as the school’s only sectional title in football, and Savage played a dual role as a linebacker and fullback on that 9-2 squad. He moved on to play at Montclair State after graduating from Rancocas Valley in 1989.
Savage spent time as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater, along with assistant coaching stops at Newark West Side High School, Woodrow Wilson and Pennsauken prior to his first head coaching gig at Camden.
During his time with the Panthers, he received national recognition as the Philadelphia Eagles nominated him for the 2019 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. The nomination was partly in response to how Savage handled a tragic situation earlier that year.
In a Nov. 15 playoff game between Camden and Pleasantville, a shooting occurred in the stands during the third quarter, injuring three people and resulting in the death of a 10-year-old Micah Tennant, who died five days later in the hospital.
Savage talked with representatives from Pleasantville, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, and the Eagles to resume the game at Lincoln Financial Field, dedicating the game to Tennant’s memory.
Savage said he’s ready to show what he can do in his new position.
“I’m a guy that’s going to give you some tough love but also love you back,” Savage said. “Our motto this year is going to be ‘HEART’ – which means stay humble, show effort, achieve your goals, respect, and teammates. That’s going to be our goal this year. We’re going to try to play fast on the field and also play disciplined.”
It’s a long wait until August. But Savage is counting the days.
“We’re looking forward to getting out on the football field,” he said. “Right now is the hardest part of the year. Now until August. Until you can really get on the field and start gelling as a team.
“Hopefully we can make Camden Catholic like the North Jersey teams as far as being a dominant power in football and in the national rankings,” he said.
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