Bear River tabs alum Dustin Smith as new head football coach

Bear River High School has turned to one of its own to lead the football program. Dustin Smith, a 1995 Bear River graduate and former Bruins player, has been named the school's new head football coach after serving as the junior varsity head coach last season. Smith was also previously the Placer High School softball coach for three seasons. For Smith, returning to lead the program carries personal significance. His final season at Bear River was in 1994, when the Bruins went 13-0 and won a state championship. After high school, Smith continued his football career at College of the Redwoods in Humboldt County, where he earned all-conference honors twice before transferring to Sacramento State. Smith said his decision to pursue the Bear River job came quickly once he learned the position would open. "I was the head JV coach last year, so I was already part of the program," Smith said. "Being able to see where we're at and where we used to be, and seeing all the incredible things we still have in this community, really caught my interest." He also felt strongly that the program should remain connected to the community. "To be honest with you, I wanted the new coach to be a Bear River person one way or another. Somebody from the community with roots here," Smith said. "Some of the kids I'm coaching, I went to school with their parents. There's that connectivity. Some of the teachers here were classmates of mine. It just means something different when you have that pride in the school and the community." Smith said his familiarity with the program should help create a smooth transition, especially since he worked with both the varsity and JV players last season while helping run the team's strength and conditioning program. "We ran a platoon style on defense last year, so I worked with both JV and varsity," Smith said. "I'm extremely familiar with the kids. I don't have to come in and get them to know me. They already know me, trust me and believe what I'm telling them." That familiarity extends beyond football. He says that he has been clear about the standards of how he wants Bear River football players to conduct themselves in the community and leads by example with how he lives his life. "When I talk about how we treat teachers, how we treat women in the community, how we treat people when we leave campus. They know that's how I live," Smith said. "There's no hypocrisy there. I'm not asking them to do anything I wouldn't do myself." Smith takes over a program that could be positioned for immediate success. Under his watch, the Bruins' junior varsity team finished 9-1 last season, and the varsity squad finished 6-5 and reached a postseason bowl game while returning several key players, including the starting quarterback. "We have a really good group of kids," Smith said. "They're great young men and they're talented. We have a lot of people returning in positions that matter, and we're looking at a really strong upswing if we come together as a group." Smith pointed to a lesson from his own playing days at Bear River as an example. "The most talented team I ever played on was actually the 1993 Bear River team, and we missed the playoffs," Smith said. "We just weren't connected. The next year, we went 13-0 and won the state championship. The talent was there both years, but the difference was the culture." Building that culture will be a major focus as he takes over. "My expectation is that we'll be the biggest, strongest, fastest and toughest team you can find in this area," Smith said. "We're going to be physical. We're going to play with an edge." That physical mentality won't be limited to the players in the trenches. "There's nobody safe from having to be physical," Smith said. "Running backs, receivers, quarterbacks. Everyone's going to have to play with that edge. A lot of guys will play both ways. If you're a running back, you don't just run out of bounds. You make the other team tackle you." Smith said the players have already embraced the approach. "They're excited about it," he said. "They love the idea of being physical, playing defense and showing what they can do." Reconnecting the program with the community is another priority, and Smith said he has already begun meeting with boosters and leaders of the Jr. Bruins program. "One of the things we're really working on is bringing that community connection back," Smith said. "I want people to come out and support the team whether we win or lose. Fill the stands. Jump on this new energy we have going and help bring back that Bruin pride."