Dan Curran Named Merrimack Football Head Coach

Merrimack College football offensive coordinator Dan Curran has been promoted to head coach as announced today by Merrimack Interim Director of Athletics Dean O’Keefe.

Curran becomes the fifth head coach of the Merrimack football program after spending the last three seasons as the Warriors’ offensive coordinator.

"After conducting a national search that brought many qualified candidates, it was clear the best person to lead our program was already right here in North Andover," said Interim Director of Athletics Dean O'Keefe. "Dan is a proven leader who directed Merrimack's conference-leading offense in each of the last three seasons while overseeing the successful recruitment of talented student-athletes on and off the field.  We look forward to having him build upon the standard of success he has helped create here at Merrimack.”

"I am honored and excited to become the next Head Football Coach at Merrimack College,” said Curran. “I want to thank President Hopey, Alexa Abowitz, Dean O'Keefe, and John Perry for this tremendous opportunity. My family and I are pleased to be staying in the Merrimack College community, and we look forward to making an impact on and off the field. The football program at Merrimack has a winning tradition, and I am looking forward to the challenge of continuing to build on that past success."

Curran replaces John Perry, who resigned to take an offensive assistant position at Division I Delaware after five seasons as Merrimack's head coach.

Curran’s prolific offense led the Northeast-10 Conference in total offense the last three seasons and also led the country in passing offense this season with 399.2 passing yards per contest. Under Curran’s tutelage, the Warriors received the two major NE-10 offensive awards this season as starting quarterback Joe Clancy (Newburyport, Mass.) was named Offensive Player of the Year while senior receiver Isaiah Voegeli (Hyannis, Mass.) was named Most Valuable Player after the greatest receiving season in school history.

Curran also gave Merrimack alums Shawn Loiseau, Tony Johnson and James Suozzo guidance in their attempts to make the professional ranks as each player received a National Football League training camp offer following their senior seasons. Loiseau is currently under contract with the Indianapolis Colts for the 2013 NFL season.

Curran came to Merrimack after playing eight years of professional football which included time spent with the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League as well as the New Orleans Voodoo and Georgia Force of the Arena Football League.

As a player in the Arena Football League, Curran earned First Team All-League Honors and was named to the All-Ironman Team as well as being named one of three finalists for Ironman of the Year after leading the league in rushing.

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Curran earned Atlantic-10 honors after rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns in his senior season. The former Chelmsford High graduate was the Boston Globe Player of the Year and received USA Today All America honorable mention in addition to being named the sixth-best player in New England by Super Prep Magazine after leading Chelmsford to a Super Bowl victory and its fourth consecutive Merrimack Valley Conference title. 

Curran currently resides in Chelmsford, MA with his wife Megan and their two children Ty and Kaley.