Timmons takes over TD football program

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Marc; he was a phenomenal coach, and we’ll have a good foundation that he helped provide the team with for the last two years,” said Timmons. “Marc was a good mentor for me; he helped me a lot and he was one of the first people who I called after I was hired. I will definitely take any advice from him that he’s willing to give me in the future.”

Schilling guided the Riverhawks to a 2-3 Special District 2 mark, a 4-5 overall record and a No. 21 4A ranking last year. It was the best record for The Dalles since 2019, when the Riverhawks finished 7-5. The Dalles finished in a three-way tie for third place in the six-team SD2 league standings. For Timmons, the head coaching job fulfills a goal that he has had for a long time.

“I was super excited when I was offered the job and I’ve always wanted to be The Dalles head coach,” said Timmons, a 2010 The Dalles High graduate. “I was pretty optimistic that I was going to get hired, so it wasn’t really a surprise. I’m really excited about the upcoming season.”

Timmons played quarterback for three years at The Dalles High from 2007-09 and he was a fullback/defensive end in 2010. Timmons was a Riverhawks’ varsity assistant coach for the past two years and the JV coach last season. He coached youth football at The Dalles Middle School from 2015 to 2022 and he was the wide receiver coach at The Dalles High in 2018. In 2023, Timmons was the quarterback coach and special team’s coach.

“I’m pretty familiar with everyone who will be on the team this year after coaching them last season as an assistant,” said Timmons, who is also The Dalles High swim coach and the Riverhawks’ girls golf coach. “My plan is to change things a little regarding consistency with the coaching staff and I’m planning to be here for the long term. I live here, I grew up here and I played on The Dalles High football team.”

The Dalles assistant coaches include Gabe Scherrer and Kyle Lee, who return from last year’s coaching staff. The Dalles will have an experienced squad for the 2024 season. The Riverhawks lost six graduated seniors from last year’s team; 28 underclassmen were on last fall’s roster. The season begins Aug. 30 with a jamboree at Umatilla High School.

“I know all the incoming freshman because I coached them at The Dalles Middle School,” said Timmons. “I will continue working with the middle school and the youth football program and I’ll give them as much support as I can. I’m definitely looking forward to the season. We’re already getting a summer weight training program set up for everyone and the guys are all excited about the season, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”