Where are they now? Former U-M OL David Dawson coaching at Detroit powerhouse

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The 2013 Michigan recruiting class was one of the highest ranked in the modern era, finishing with seven Top 150 prospects as well as notable names like Jourdan Lewis, Delano Hill, Maurice Hurst, Taco Charlton and Jake Butt. 

At the time, Michigan was coming off three straight bowl appearances and appeared to have reason for optimism under second-year head coach Brady Hoke, who made it a priority to keep top talent at home.

The Wolverines aggressively pursued All-American offensive lineman David Dawson out of Detroit powerhouse Cass Tech and earned his commitment. Dawson did temporarily back out of his verbal pledge to the Wolverines as Florida and Michigan State made runs. However, Dawson ultimately inked with U-M on signing day, marking a huge win along the offensive line.

“Michigan was the hometown team,” Dawson said.  “I loved Coach Hoke. Coach (Fred) Jackson and Coach (Darrell) Funk were great recruiters. I had a lot of stuff happen personally like my father passing. I actually decommitted from Michigan because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But the relationships is something I needed at the time. Plus, I had a lot of friends going there.”

Dawson endured the last two years of the Hoke-era, which ultimately came burning down in flames before Michigan made a splash hire, bringing in Jim Harbaugh, who immediately led the Wolverines to back-to-back 10-win seasons. Dawson appeared in 11 games under Harbaugh before graduating with a degree in Afro-American and African Studies.

Dawson briefly landed at Iowa State as a graduate student before using his final year of eligibility at Grand Valley State. While the former prized recruit didn’t quite live up to his billing, he still cherishes the time he spent at the University of Michigan.

“I had a great time in Ann Arbor,” Dawson said. “I built a lot of relationships with people I’m still friends with today. (Former U-M linebacker) Mike McCray is my daughter’s godfather and is going to be in my wedding. I’m thankful for all the relationships. The atmosphere in The Big House was always crazy. It’s a blessing to say I played there in front of all those fans.”

Even before his football career came to an end, Dawson knew he wanted to get into coaching. Shortly after departing for Iowa State, Dawson learned he would soon be a father. That news coupled with an illness to his mother forced Dawson to leave Iowa State just a couple of weeks after arriving.

Dawson took a year away from the game he loved — as a player — and spent time assisting the Belleville (Mich.) High football team. Dawson then used his final year of eligibility at Grand Valley State and got right back into coaching.

“I came back when I knew football was completely over and spent some time at Loyola in Detroit,” Dawson said. “I’ve always liked giving back. Even if I had made it to the league, I always said I wanted to give back to my community. I didn’t, so I can’t give back financially, but I can share the knowledge I’ve learned. I had three or four offensive coordinators at Michigan, so there is a lot of knowledge that I can share with these kids. I reach out to a lot of inner-city kids and try to mentor them.”

Dawson recently made a big jump in the coaching profession as he landed a job at his alma mater, Cass Tech. Dawson serves as the offensive line and assistant head coach for one of the most recognizable high school programs in the country.

“It means a lot to be at Cass,” Dawson said. “I was a Cass guy. I was an All-American there and part of back-to-back state championship teams. I know what it’s like to have Coach (Thomas) Wilcher demanding everything out of you. Being able to relate to the kids and understanding where they are coming from is the thing I like the most. It’s a national name, and my job is to make sure Cass remains a national name and doesn’t fall off.”

Some believed Cass Tech would fall off after the departure of long-time head coach and U-M alum Thomas Wilcher, who is now the Director of Community and High School Relations at Michigan State. However, new head coach Marvin Rushing and Dawson have done a fantastic job of keeping the tradition going.

This season, a young Cass Tech team bounced back from a 1-3 start to finish 9-4 with an appearance in the Division I state semifinals. The year was highlighted with a city championship win over archrival Detroit (Mich.) King.

“I hate King,” Dawson said. “That rivalry is even deeper than Michigan and Michigan State. Beating them felt amazing after losing to them twice last year and by five earlier in the year. We ran the ball until the cows came home, and they couldn’t stop it. That was a great feeling as the offensive line coach.”

That certainly sounds a lot like Michigan’s game plans.

So it’s no surprise Dawson spent some time back at U-M this offseason, taking in tips and advice from offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore as well as his former teammate, Grant Newsome, who is now the team’s tight ends coach.

Under Moore, the Wolverines have captured back-to-back Joe Moore Awards for the best offensive line group in college football.

“I’ve reached out to Coach Moore about zone blocking schemes and techniques,” Dawson said. “I went up there with Khalid Hill (former Michigan fullback and current Cass Tech assistant) in the spring and watched film and practice. There were a lot of good things that I picked up. We actually sat down with Grant Newsome, who we played with, and we were able to pick up a few things. Grant was always smart. It’s not a surprise to anyone. We expect him to go even further.

“I love where the Michigan program is going now. I love the grit they have in the offensive line group with Coach Moore. That’s what has taken us over the hump — being able to run the ball down your throat.”

Perhaps Dawson can follow a similar path as Newsome, who quickly ascended from player to graduate assistant to a rising star in the coaching industry.

While he’s happy with the work he’s doing at Cass Tech, Dawson admitted his dream is to one day coach at the collegiate level. Coaching isn’t just a hobby for Dawson. He takes pride in his craft and views it as his long-term career.

“My end goal is to be a college head coach,” Dawson said. “I’m going to be at Cass until I get an opportunity to move up into the college ranks. That’s what I’m hopeful for.”