‘A new legacy’: Why Bishop Carroll football coach Dusty Trail retired after 29 years
A changing of the old guard is underway at Bishop Carroll.
After nearly three decades with the football program, serving the last eight years as head coach, Dusty Trail recently announced his retirement along with longtime defensive coordinator Jim Nance, who had been with the Bishop Carroll for 30 years.
Both worked under former head coach Alan Schuckman, who retired in 2016, and helped turn a moribund program into a state power. The trio won a pair of Class 5A state championships in 2012 and 2014, while Trail led the Golden Eagles to another state title in his first year as head coach in 2017 and City League championships in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
Trail compiled a 55-29 record in eight years, including four straight trips to at least the state quarterfinals, but Carroll has recently slipped. After a 3-6 debacle last season, its first losing season in 28 years, Carroll posted a 2-7 record this season.
After investing so many years in building the program into a consistent winner, Trail sensed it was time for a new leader in order to restore Carroll to a championship contender again. Carroll athletic director Tyler Fraizer said a statewide search for the program’s third head coach in the last 29 years is ongoing.
“This job takes a lot of energy and every year I could feel my energy dropping,” Trail told The Eagle. “I felt like the program deserved better than that. I couldn’t give it the energy it deserved. It’s time for a new generation to take hold of the reins and move the legacy of Bishop Carroll football forward and start a new legacy.”
Since announcing his retirement last Thursday, Trail has been overwhelmed by the appreciation he has received from former players over the past three decades.
It’s caused him to stroll down memory lane and recall so many fond memories associated with Carroll football.
“This program has given me the greatest gift that you can receive and that’s just the memories I have from over the years,” Trail said. “I’ve received a number of texts and phone calls and emails from alumni and former players and parents and that just fills my heart. I’ve been at the same place practically my entire adult life. Bishop Carroll is a special place and it continues to be a special place and that’s why I’ve been here for so long.”
Following the footsteps of Schuckman, who won 193 games, 11 City League titles and two state championships, was a tall task. But Trail rose to the challenge in his first season as head coach to lead Carroll to a 12-1 record and a Class 5A title.
The thing he remembers the most about that first season as head coach? He was unsure he was capable of succeeding Schuckman.
“I was nervous about taking over as head coach and I don’t necessarily know if I wanted the job, but I felt like it was best for the program if someone from Alan’s staff take over,” Trail said. “I don’t know if I actually was confident to be able to do the job, but I just remember the amount of support those kids gave me and the parents and my staff. I had so much support as the head coach and they just took me along for a ride. That 2017 group was a bunch of self-motivated kids and it was just an amazing experience to be able to coach them.”
While Trail will no longer coach at Carroll, he plans on continuing as a physical education teacher. He’ll also continue to attend Carroll football games, as his son, Ridge, will be a senior on next year’s team.
As for his new-found free time, well, he’s still adjusting to that.
“I’ll start thinking about something that needs to get done and I’ll start trying to figure out how to organize it,” Trail said. “And then it just hits me, ‘Oh wait, I don’t have to do that anymore.’ It’s kind of surreal, but it’s a good thing. There’s no second-guessing the decision. It’s what is best for the program, what is best for me and my family and what is best for the community.”
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 6:04 AM.
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