Why Zane Trace football might sound like Ohio U. under new coach Dylan Wears

KINNIKINNICK − Everything seemed to fall into place when Dylan Wears became head football coach at Zane Trace.

At first, he applied out of curiosity. He wanted to see what the Pioneers were searching for after former coach Heath Hinton stepped down in mid-February. Throughout the interview process, along with developments in his personal life, he gravitated closer and closer toward the Pioneers. The program piqued his interest.

So when he was offered the job back in April, Wears considered it a natural fit.

"After sitting down with the administration here and hearing what they were looking for, what they were searching for, and what they had going and plans for the future, everything just seemed to fall into place the way you hope it does," Wears said. "It just seemed like a place that was going to be a really good fit for me."

The first-year head coach enters a program with plenty of expectations heading into 2023. The Pioneers are fresh off of a Scioto Valley Conference championship and were 23-10 during Hinton's three seasons. Despite being just a few years removed from his college career at Ohio University, Wears already has built a solid resume. He served as the head coach at Triad in North Lewisburg for three seasons, during which he accumulated an 11-20 record, as well as serving as an assistant coach at Olentangy.

To Wears, becoming a a head coach from such a young age – he only turns 28 next week ‒ helped him learn on his feet and establish what kind of coach he wants to be. He's able to learn from his mistakes, and he's hoping to put what he's learned into action with the Pioneers.

"When you're thrown into the fire that early, it's kind of a sink or swim," Wears said. "I'm humble enough to say that there's a lot of things that, if I could go back, I would have done them differently. But thankfully, I have that experience now, and I've been through that and I've learned some things the hard way and some things I learned I did the right way."

Granted, he has a solid reference point to work from. Spending his college career under Ohio coaches Frank Solich and Tim Albin − then the offensive coordinator − and their staffs shaped his own coaching philosophy, Wears has come to appreciate how Solich organized the Bobcats now that he's in a similar position.

Wears catches himself talking in a similar vein to Albin, as well as Ohio wide receivers coach Dwayne Dixon, on occasion.

"I was coached under Dwayne Dixon for a little bit at wide receiver, and I say things to my kids that I remember him saying to me on day one," Wears said. "When he first said it, I was like, 'What's this guy talking about?' And now, I'm here saying the same thing to my guys. Tim Albin was my offensive coordinator, same thing. There's numerous different verbiage and different things he said that I'll say the exact same way."

Wears knows who he is as a coach. He's forged that identity through experience, and it's the reason he was picked to lead the Pioneers. But it didn't come without others passing that knowledge down to him. With Zane Trace's season opener on Aug. 18 against Logan Elm on the horizon, he's hoping to pass that knowledge further down the line.

"Things have clicked very well," Wears said. "The players have been great, with open arms kind of taken me in. We're just both trying to give each other our all and working hard together. Things have just seemed to fit pretty naturally."

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Zane Trace football coach Dylan Wears embraces Ohio University past