WEST PALM BEACH ― Having a short memory is important in sports, especially when an entire season feels like a series of unfortunate events.
Dwyer football may have one of the strongest résumés of any program in Palm Beach County history, but that pedigree did little to soften the blow of an 0-10 season in 2025.
The Panthers failed to record a single win during Willie Smith's one-year stint as head coach. Now, Remington Young takes over after successfully making the transition from flag football to tackle football at Inlet Grove.
"Don't look at the past," Young said. "We're only looking at the future. So that 0-10 season, that 2-and-whatever season, we're not looking at that. We're just looking at player development, you know, getting these guys
to the next level."
Last year, Young inherited an Inlet Grove program plagued by financial challenges and roster uncertainty, yet managed to build a success story with limited resources.
After proving his commitment in the face of those obstacles, Young is embracing a new challenge at Dwyer, though this one at least comes with a grass field and a full coaching staff.
Among those assistants are Gurvan Hall, Matt Dame, Alonso Smith, and his defensive coordinator from last year, Matt Simpson, whom Young has known for over a decade.
"It's different, but this program, I knew what I was taking on," Young said. "I've interviewed a lot of coaches. A lot of people wanted to be certain things and I'm like, 'Hey, this is what you can be here,' and they wanted to be there. I brought a lot of alumni, and obviously the players built relationships pretty quick."
Part of building that culture has involved tuning out outside noise while reshaping the roster.
"I'm still being doubted and continue to get a lot of hate in the county after my first year as a head coach, so I lost a lot of starters and had to bring in talent at each grade level," Young said.
Competing in a district that includes Martin County and Palm Beach Gardens will present a steeper challenge than the one Young faced a year ago, but he believes his team is embracing the process.
"Treating each week like a new beginning," Young said. Having the kids show up in summer and buy in has been huge. 65 players showing up shows me the 'Coach Young' era is going to be powerful anywhere I am."
Young isn't the only one who is hungry for success, as even the transfers into the program understand that a culture shift is needed from what Dwyer experienced last season.
"I want to win more games," Reggie Paul said. "I don't want to go 0-10 again. I think we could flip the narrative."
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Remington Young aims to revive Dwyer football after winless season
