Dave Shimkosky is ready to take control of a football program.
On Wednesday, the longtime assistant coach and former defensive coordinator was appointed by the school board as the next head football coach at Western Wayne High School.
“It’s an honor to be named head coach,” Shimkosky said. “To have people trust you enough with the development of the program is an honor. The timing was right for me. We have put a lot of work in the last 10 years into building this program, and I want to continue that process.”
Shimkosky played high school football at Dunmore and was a member of a Big 11 championship team in 1993. He continued his academic and athletic careers at Susquehanna University.
His coaching career started at his alma mater. Shimkosky was an assistant coach at Dunmore for the late Hall of Fame coach Jack Henzes.
After accepting a teaching position at Western Wayne, he joined Randy Wolff’s staff with the Wildcats in 2017. Shimkosky served as the defensive coordinator for the program and head coach Shane Grodack, who resigned after the 2025 season.
Western Wayne became a regular qualifier for the District 2 Class 3A playoffs under Wolff and Grodack. In 2024, the Wildcats shared the Lackawanna Football Conference Division II championship with Mid Valley and won a school-record 10 games.
“Western Wayne School District is excited to announce the appointment of Dave Shimkosky as our new head football coach,” Western Wayne principal Paul Gregorski said. “Coach Shimkosky has been a valued member of our coaching staff for many years and has played an integral role in the success and growth of our football program.
“His deep understanding of our athletes, our school and our community makes him the right leader at the right time. We are confident that his commitment to student athletes, strong work ethic and passion for the game will continue to move our program forward, and we look forward to the future of Western Wayne football under his leadership.”
Shimkosky has been committed to the program.
Last season, Western Wayne finished 2-8 overall while having to replace 20 of 22 starters. However, during their successful seasons, the Wildcats developed a reputation for being physical on both sides of the ball, featuring a bruising running game and a tenacious defense.
“The kids are working hard,” Shimkosky said. “We got a lot of young guys some experience last season, and watching them develop gets you excited. We want to add more players and build enthusiasm around the program. We want to compete and get better every week. If we can do that, good things will happen.
“We want to establish our identity again. We didn’t have the big line, and not a lot of seniors last season. We want to be a physical football team that plays hard-nosed defense. That’s how we built the program over the last 10 years, and we want to improve upon that.”
Riverside is the last LFC program needing a head coach. Harry Armstrong did not reapply for his position.
Montrose appointed Brett Stage, and Scranton appointed Ray Dayton earlier this week.