Former West Liberty University standout Dakota Conwell returns for his second season as the quarterback’s coach for veteran head man Roger Waialae. As quarterbacks coach Conwell was instrumental in developing Rudy Garcia’s rise to national prominence during the 2023 season. Under Conwell’s guidance, Garcia ranked 5th in NCAA Division II for completions per game with 24.0 and 13th with 256.4 passing yards per game
A 2-time All-Pennsylvania standout at Upper St. Clair High School who was recently inducted into that school's Hall of Fame, Conwell was named to the WPIAL 2010’s All-Decade Football Team after a stellar career that saw him pass for more than 4,000 yards on offense while being ranked the No. 2 linebacker in the state on defense.
The Upper St. Clair graduate played one season at the University of Arizona, appearing in 11 games as a true freshman at outside linebacker, before transferring to West Liberty. Conwell exploded onto the Mountain East Conference scene as a 3-year starter for the Hilltoppers at quarterback from 2014-16. In 32 career games, he completed 512-of-989 passes for 6,766 yards and 70 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,533 yards and 16 more scores to finish with 8,299 yards of career total offense.
A record-setting signal caller during his days on the hilltop, the 3-time All-MEC honoree ranks No. 1 among all WLU quarterbacks in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He trails only Hilltopper Hall of Famer Zach Amedro in career total offense, pass completions, and touchdown passes while ranking third at West Liberty in career passing yards.
After graduating from WLU with a degree in business and finance, Conwell worked in sales for the Pittsburgh Pirates and BSN Sports before venturing out on his own as the founder and owner of S.K.Y. Development Athletics in Pittsburgh. Since its inception, Conwell and his S.K.Y. Development Athletics staff have provided sports-specific performance training for more than 500 young athletes at their facility in Pittsburgh.
Conwell and his wife, the former Alexis Dengler, reside in Pittsburgh.
