Fulton's new football coach has returned home. Dana Chambers Jr. was announced Thursday as the head football coach for the Hornets.
He fills his first head coaching role for the school he graduated from after filling various coaching positions since 2010.
Chambers Jr. graduated from Fulton in 2003, playing on the football team as a linebacker and tight end. He thought it was a can't-miss opportunity after coaching at Hickman since 2012.
"This is my community, I feel like," Chambers Jr. said. "When it opened up, I feel like, if you're a coach and you have an opportunity to go back to your alma mater, I feel like it's something you jump on."
Chambers Jr. said being back in the facilities where he played brought back a lot of memories, and is excited to meet with the players and begin mentoring them.
Chambers Jr. has picked up on how being a life coach is part of being a football coach from his time coaching under his father, Dana Chambers Sr., an assistant football coach at Central Missouri. Chambers Sr. was the head coach at Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, Mich., and Chambers Jr. served in various positions.
"You have to be more than just a football coach," Chambers Jr. said. "You've got to be a mentor to these young men that you'll be in charge of leading. Coaching football is not just about winning football games, it's about getting these young men to win at life."
Despite spending most of his time coaching defense in his career, including his time as the Hickman defensive coordinator since 2018, Chambers Jr. said he's coached on both sides of the ball and believes he has what it takes to turn the Fulton program around.
Fulton is coming off a 1-9 season, its fifth losing record since going 9-3 in 2015. Chambers Jr. said the wins will come once he builds a culture with his players.
"You've got to start over and start from the ground up," he said. "You've got to build a foundation. After you build that foundation, you've just gotta work at it. We're going to work hard at building a culture around the school and the community."
Chambers Jr. met with the assistant coaches Thursday and will meet with the players today.
Fulton athletic director Ryan Waters said he likes Chambers Jr. was an alumnus to the school and he's heard many good things about him during the process of hiring him.
"Dana Chambers was a former alumni of Fulton, whose references absolutely raved about his work ethic and knowledge of the game," Waters said. "His proven dedication to football and his ability to help students and athletes succeed both on and off the field, made him an absolute perfect hire for our open position."