Football coach making giant strides in Division III
“The team closed
out the season
with a 20-7
victory over
l^ewport News
Apprentice School
and a sparkling
19-13 overtime
victory against
Guilford
College. ”
“He has shown
himself a
gentleman and
has assembled a
team that portrays
the quiet cool that
has made him the
upright man he
has always been. ”
Chowan head football coach Dan Surface sends in a play via sophomore tight end
Reggie Wilson during a recent game. Surface orchestrated a 3-7 campaign for the
Braves this season, the most ever wins since the college moved up to four-year status
and Division III competition. Photo by tee Copeland
By THAD WHITE. Staff Writer
The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald
Dan Surface is a man of quiet resolve.
In a profession where many of his collea
gues are guys who scream, yell and throw
temper tantrums. Surface is a man who believes
in hard work and uncompromising morals as he
heads the Chowan College football team in the
proper direction.
When Surface took over as head football
coach at Chowan several years ago. he faced
many obstacles.
Not only was he faced with the challenge of
making the Braves winners at the Division III
level after years of success as a junior college,
but Surface was replacing legendary Jim
Garrison.
The coach never shirked from the duties of a
head football coach, but moved immediately to
put his own stamp on a team that was desper
ately seeking an identity as a four-year institu
tion.
He has worked tirelessly to make the team a
winner and each of his first three seasons has
been better than the one previous.
When Surface was tabbed by Garrison, the
school's athletic director, to take over the
football program, he inherited a club which had
won two games in two years as a senior
college.
Garrison, whose attention was demanded
more and more by his duties as athletic director,
made the decision to turn the program over to
his top assistant.
For 16 years. Surface was on the sidelines
with Garrison as the Braves' defensive coordi
nator
Surface served as head football coach at
Floyd County, Virginia, before being called back
to Chowan as chairman of the department of
health and physical education and defensive
coordinator of the football squad.
Surface has worked, along with his staff, to
make the football program a winner
“We want to make this program a winner."
said Surface. “Everyone likes to be associated
with a winner.''
And. while a winning season escaped the
Braves (who finished 3-7) this year, the coach
believes that it was finally within reach.
“We had two other games we felt we could
have won in Methodist and Ferrum.” Surface
said. “We arc pleased that we made progress,
but we could have been playing for a winning
season during that final game.”
With eight games played, the Braves were 1-
7 and facing the possibility of returning to the
1-9 mark they had escaped from with a 2-7-1
mark last year, but neither Surface nor his team
was willing to go backwards.
“The last two games we wanted to win for
our seniors and me and we were able to do
that.” Surface said. “The seniors have had a
challenging four years.
"They came here at a challenging time for
the program and make a significant contribu
tion.” he continued.
“We wanted to see them lea\e with those
two wins and I was happy we were able to do
that.”
The team closed out the season with a 20-7
\ictory over Newport News Apprentice School
and a sparkling 19-13 o\ertinie victory against
Guilford College.
Asked about having the program win three
games for the first time as a senior college.
Surface was typically pragmatic.
"They "re all big at this stage.” he said. “We
won three games, the most so far in Di\ ision
III. but there were two other games we could
have won,”
He also said he believed wins over Ferrum
and Methodist could have sparked confidence
which would have led to other victories.
Although his teams are continuing to
improve. Surface said he doesn't have a
timetable in mind, but rather is hoping to see
the team become a winner.
“We take it one year at a time.” he said.
“Dan Surface has
dedicated himself for
more than 20 years, to
making the Chowan
College football program
the best that it can be,
on and off the field. ”
"Our goals this season were to have a winning
season and to beat all the teams in North
Carolina that were on our schedule.
“Although we didn't get that done, we did
improve.” he said. “In previous years, Method
ist and Ferrum have kind of dominated us. but
we played them close this year.
“Even though we lost, we ha\e made
progress,” he admitted.
But Surface isn't making e.xcuses and freely
admits he wanted to have the team break
through to a winning season.
“Of course, we would like to ha\ e made the
transition much quicker,” he said. “We wanted
that for Chowan College football and the
college as a whole.
The most gratifying part of the three-win
season and the two-game winning streak to
close out the season for Surface, was having
the seniors leave with a pair of wins.
“These seniors have been pioneers so to
speak.” he said. “It's not an easy process to
make the transition from junior college to
Division III.
“In an era that has been a challenging time,
these seniors have done a great job.” he said.
And. while the seniors are leaving with a
two-game win streak. Surface is already busily
preparing for another season, one which he
believes will be benefitted by the groundwork
laid this year.
“(The wins) are going to help with the *
underclassmen as we prepare for ne.xt year,” he
said, “It makes you feel better.”
Dan Surface has dedicated himself for more
than 20 years to making the Chowan College
football program the best that it can be. on and
off the field.
He has shown himself a gentleman and has
assembled a team that portrays the quiet cool
that has made him the upright man he has
always been.
The Chowan College football program is
headed in the right direction and that success
belongs in large part to the quiet calm of Dan
Surface.
(Editor s Note: The above article appeared
in the Nov. 21. 1997 issue of The Roanoke-
Chowan News-Herald and is reprinted with the
permission of Thad White, staff w riter, and
Joseph Vaughan, editor and general manager.
Jack Goldberg, Chowan College's sports
information director, also contributed to this
story.)
Page 18 — CHOWAN TODAY, December 1996