HEAD COACH
Doug Dahms
Coach Dahms started his coaching career 49 years ago working with Wilson’s legendary coach John Gurski. Seven years working with Gurski taught Coach Dahms the meaning of hard work and commitment. The next fifteen years, coaching with Gerry Slemmer, forged in him a love of coaching and the importance of developing character in athletes. The next eight years with Jim Cantafio were years of change with the evolution of the passing game at Wilson.
His first 30 years coaching football were spent with the Wilson defense. In those years, Wilson won 16 league championships, three district championships and one state runner-up trophy. Ninteen years ago, he took over the helm of the most successful football program in Pennsylvania and led them to their 17th L-L league championship and three rounds into play-offs posting an 11-2 record. Since then the Bulldogs have won thirteen more L-L league championships and four District 3 championships. They are currently riding a 60 year streak of winning football. Dahms has been named Coach of the Year in the Lancaster-Lebanon League eleven times and was District 3 Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2014. In 2016 he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Big 33 Game in which Pennsylvania defeated Maryland.
Coach Dahms graduated from Muhlenberg High School in 1971, where he played football, wrestled and ran track. He continued his academic and athletic career at Lebanon Valley College where, in an unusual career, he continued all three sports, lettering four years in each. After graduating from Lebanon Valley College in 1975 with a degree in Biology, Coach Dahms accepted a teaching position at Wilson School District teaching AP Biology and AP Environmental Science. Although he has just retired from teaching after 47 years, he continues to coach the varsity football team. Dahms has a Master’s Degree in Biology from Kutztown University and has done extensive graduate work in Montana, Delaware, and at several other universities.
Dahms was inducted into the Lebanon Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993, the Muhlenberg High School Hall of Fame in 2002, the Wilson High School Sports of Fame in 2007, the Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Berks County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
Besides coaching football, Coach Dahms was the Head Coach of Wilson’s highly successful Track & Field team. He has been named Coach of the Year in Berks County twenty-six times, while his teams have captured thirty-two county championships, four district championships, and two state runner-up trophies. Coach Dahms was also president of Berks County Track and Field Coaches Association for twenty-six years.
Dahms also started and runs the Jamaica Marine Biology Field Studies program and in his free time enjoys golf and scuba diving.
Dahms’ wife, Susie, was a secretary at the high school (retired) and is his partner and assistant in many of the above activities. Coach Dahms’ family also includes his son, Jesse, daughter-in-law Danielle, granddaughter Lilah, and four Labrador retrievers.
His first 30 years coaching football were spent with the Wilson defense. In those years, Wilson won 16 league championships, three district championships and one state runner-up trophy. Ninteen years ago, he took over the helm of the most successful football program in Pennsylvania and led them to their 17th L-L league championship and three rounds into play-offs posting an 11-2 record. Since then the Bulldogs have won thirteen more L-L league championships and four District 3 championships. They are currently riding a 60 year streak of winning football. Dahms has been named Coach of the Year in the Lancaster-Lebanon League eleven times and was District 3 Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2014. In 2016 he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Big 33 Game in which Pennsylvania defeated Maryland.
Coach Dahms graduated from Muhlenberg High School in 1971, where he played football, wrestled and ran track. He continued his academic and athletic career at Lebanon Valley College where, in an unusual career, he continued all three sports, lettering four years in each. After graduating from Lebanon Valley College in 1975 with a degree in Biology, Coach Dahms accepted a teaching position at Wilson School District teaching AP Biology and AP Environmental Science. Although he has just retired from teaching after 47 years, he continues to coach the varsity football team. Dahms has a Master’s Degree in Biology from Kutztown University and has done extensive graduate work in Montana, Delaware, and at several other universities.
Dahms was inducted into the Lebanon Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993, the Muhlenberg High School Hall of Fame in 2002, the Wilson High School Sports of Fame in 2007, the Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Berks County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
Besides coaching football, Coach Dahms was the Head Coach of Wilson’s highly successful Track & Field team. He has been named Coach of the Year in Berks County twenty-six times, while his teams have captured thirty-two county championships, four district championships, and two state runner-up trophies. Coach Dahms was also president of Berks County Track and Field Coaches Association for twenty-six years.
Dahms also started and runs the Jamaica Marine Biology Field Studies program and in his free time enjoys golf and scuba diving.
Dahms’ wife, Susie, was a secretary at the high school (retired) and is his partner and assistant in many of the above activities. Coach Dahms’ family also includes his son, Jesse, daughter-in-law Danielle, granddaughter Lilah, and four Labrador retrievers.
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Stats coming soon.
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ASSISTANTS - COORDINATORS
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Jeremy Palm (QBs/Offense)
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Ernie Wolber (OLBs/Defense)
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Jeremy played football for Wilson and graduated in 1998. He then went on to play for East Stroudsburg University and studied Health and Physical Education. He started at Wilson School District as a Physical Education teacher and football coach in 2003. He resides in Sinking Spring with his wife, Amy, daughters Kinsey and Katelyn, and son Beckett.
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Ernie played for Coach Gurski at Wilson and is a member of the Wilson Century Club. He has coached at high school and collegiate levels for many years. He has been a coach at Wilson since 2000 and became the Defensive Coordinator in 2006. Ernie and his wife, Jill, are the proud parents of two Wilson alumni football players, Ryan and Alex. He spends his time away from football working out, going to the beach, hanging at Club Naples, and riding his Harley. Ernie resides in West Lawn with his wife, Jill, and their dogs, Harley and Cali Jo.
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ASSISTANT COACHES
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Jake Peterson (RBs)
Jake has been an assistant coach at Wilson since the 2010 season. He has coached the running backs since 2012. Jake's first 2 years at Wilson were coaching defensive backs. Before joining the Wilson staff, Jake spent 2 years coaching at Daniel Boone, his alma mater, where he coached defensive backs and running backs. Jake is a 2007 graduate of Lebanon Valley College where he earned a Business Administration degree and three varsity letters playing safety for the Flying Dutchmen. Jake has been a teacher at Wilson since 2009. Jake is an Internship Coordinator and Business Department Lead Learner at the high school. Jake is happily married to Lauren (a 3rd grade teacher in the district) and is the proud father of three children, Cole, Cecily, and Clay.
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Brandon Dahms (OL)
Brandon played football for, and graduated from Muhlenberg High School. He earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from
Penn State University in 2004. He earned his Master of Special Education degree from Alvernia in the fall of 2022. He is now teaching Special Education at the Wilson High School. He resides in Exeter with his wife Tammy and daughters Grace and Brooke, living the Girl Dad life. He has been coaching at Wilson since 2010. 
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Ryan Wolber (DEs)
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Mark Steinmeyer (WRs)
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Ryan is a 2004 graduate of Wilson High School. While at Wilson Ryan played football and ice hockey. After high school Ryan attended Penn State-Berks where he majored in Kinesiology and was a member of the ice hockey team that posted 3rd and 4th place finishes at Nationals. Ryan was an assistant coach for Wilson from 2007-2009 and 2011-2012 with a stop in Spring Ford for the 2010 season coaching the D-Line at both schools. Currently Ryan is the Inventory Manager at Adelphia Seafood and resides in Gouglersville with his dog, Nala.
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Mark is a graduate of Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls, N.J. where he competed in football, wrestling and baseball. During his senior year, he was named to several All-State teams for football. He continued his football playing career at Kutztown University where he was named PSAC Rookie of the Year in 1988. He went on to become a 4-time All-PSAC selection, PSAC Offensive Player of the Year, 3-time All-American selection, and 4th in the Harlon Hill voting, which is an award given to the most valuable player at the Division II level. Mark set 24 school records for receiving, punt and kick returns. He also set 2 NCAA Division II records which still stand today. Mark was inducted into his high school and Kutztown University Hall of Fame while being named to the All-Decade team, Top Athletes of the 20th Century, and most recently he was named to the Kutztown University All-Time Team. Mark is entering his seventh season on the Bulldog coaching staff. His responsibilities include coaching the receivers and helping with the special teams. He resides in Reading with his wife of 25 years, Abby, and their 2 children Sophia (Wilson ’17), and Anthony (Wilson ’19).
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Anthony Ciatto (ILBs)
This is Anthony’s fifth year coaching linebackers and his fourth year teaching business at Wilson High School. Anthony spent 2015-2019 coaching the inside/outside linebackers at Exeter Township High School. He then added Special Teams
Coordinator under his belt from 2018-2019. Anthony graduated in 2014 from Millersville University; earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Education. While at MU, Anthony played linebacker from 2009-2012. From 2017-2021 Anthony taught at Southern Middle School within the Reading School District; Anthony graduated from Daniel Boone High School in 2009 and currently resides in the Wilson School District. |
Chad Henne (Asst. QBs/Off. Analyst)
Chad played quarterback at Wilson from 2000-2003. He went on to play at the University of Michigan from 2004-2007. Chad was then selected in the 2nd round of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins in 2008. Chad's longevity carried him 15 years in the NFL, making stops in Jacksonville and Kansas City. He retired in February 2023 as a 2-time Super Bowl champion. Chad resides in Sinking Spring with his wife, Brittany, son, Chace, and daughter, Hunter.
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Pat Zerbe (TEs)
Pat is in his second year coaching the Bulldogs where he works primarily with the tight ends. Pat was a member of the 2008 Bulldogs, playing for Coach Dahms, Wolber, and Palm. Following high school, he played at Penn State University where he became captain of the 2013 team. He comes from a long line of Wilson Football lineage and is excited to give back to the program. He resides in Lower Heidelberg, with his wife, Lauren and sons, Beau, Brooks, and Bennett.
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Dave Tavenner (DTs)
Dave is entering his second season of coaching with the Bulldogs. Before joining Wilson, Dave taught and coached in Virginia from 2003-2021. After graduating from Spring-Ford, Dave attended and graduated from VMI in 2003. He then worked as a varsity assistant line coach and head coach for several years at Hargrave Military Academy. His next stint would be in Northern Virginia at Colonial Forge High School. While there, he taught Social Studies, coached defensive line, and headed the freshman football team between 2012-2021. This season, Dave will again be working with the defensive line, specifically defensive tackles. Dave and his wife Beth are the proud parents of their son, David, and daughter, Emily.
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Rick Periandi (DBs)
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Sal Pugliese (Asst. OL)
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Rick will be in his first season with the WIlson Bulldogs. Rick will be coaching the Wilson secondary and teaching physical education at Wilson High School. Prior to this season, Rick was a staff member at the Conestoga Valley School District for the past 19 years. At Conestoga Valley, Rick taught high school physical education, coached varsity football, and was the head varsity track and field coach. Rick coached wide receivers and defensive backs for the past 10 seasons at Conestoga Valley. Prior to teaching, Rick attended West Chester University where he was a decathlete, earning All-PSAC and All-ECAC honors his senior season. Rick currently resides in Wernersville and is proudly married to Wilson Hall-of-Famer Molly (Kauffman) Periandi who also teaches at Whitfield Elementary. They have two children, Brayden 12 and Sophia 10 who attend the Wilson School DIstrict.
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Sal is a 2020 Wilson graduate where he also played football. He graduated from West Chester University in 2024; earning his B.S in Secondary Education. Sal is a Wilson High School Biology teacher and currently resides in the Wilson School District.
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Adam Vanino (Asst. OL)
Bio coming soon.
