Brewer High School

Dana D. Dogherty, Coach 1930-1942: Football, Basketball, Baseball 

Dana Dogherty was an outstanding athlete who grew up in Danvers, Massachusetts. He attended Springfield College and was an All-New England running back in football graduating in 1930. Fresh out of college, his first teaching position was physical education at Brewer High School where he also coached the football, basketball and baseball teams from 1930 to 1942. It is remarkable that he was a one-man coaching show in three sports with no assistants. During his tenure, he was considered one of the top high school coaches in Maine, especially in football and baseball. As a particularly influential coach, he brought recognition and esteem to Brewer High School, and his charisma was experienced by the whole Brewer community.  

Dogherty’s overall football win/loss record at Brewer High School was 47 wins and 26 losses with 12 ties. He had winning seasons in 9 of 11 years. During his first coaching season, his team posted a 4-4 record then turned the tide in Brewer’s favor with winning seasons the next two years: 5-0-2 in 1931 and 6-1 in 1932! Dogherty’s football career at Springfield College was very influential in his own coaching career. Very proud of his college alma mater, he is often seen in Brewer HS team photos wearing his “S” sweater from Springfield college.  

In Coach Dogherty’s first year at the helm of the boys’ basketball team, he emphasized fundamentals and inspired the team to achieving the best record that the team had in many years: 6 wins-4 losses.  Dogherty’s 1939 basketball team amassed a 15-3 record, the best in school history to that date, and made it to the semi-finals of the Eastern Maine Basketball Tournament. 

Dogherty’s record in baseball was 80 wins and 40 losses and his teams won four Bangor Daily News League titles. His 1939 baseball team was undefeated during the regular season with 14 victories and no losses. The team went 16-1 overall and earned the state runner-up title in 1939. 

Dogherty coached some of the best athletes in Brewer sports history including two members of the Brewer Athletic Hall of Fame, Slip Corey (2016 Inductee) and Bud Lyford (2017 Inductee), who played all three sports for the Witches during this time. Dogherty was an excellent coach revered by his players.  Slip Corey said he was a great role model and a great coach and thought so much of him that he named his son, Dana Corey (2016 Brewer Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee), after Dogherty.  

Dana Dogherty ran his own day camp for boys age 6-12 at his family camp on Phillips Lake from 1931-1967.  It was an idyllic setting with morning activities, taught by Dogherty and his staff, which included swimming, boating, rowing, etc. Dogherty always read to the kids after lunch followed by activities such as hiking, darts, baseball, crafts, archery, softball, catch the flag, kick the can, scavenger hunt, etc.  The impact Dana Dogherty had on hundreds of young men was profound. Dogherty’s nephew, John Sprague of Bangor, attended the Dana Dogherty Day Camp from age 6-12, expressed that Dana was a real gentleman, who was committed to teaching life skills to the kids and shaping their lives through activities and sports. Whether at his day camp or at Brewer High School, sportsmanship was extremely important.  Bob Fraser who was a camp counselor at Dogherty’s Day Camp for two years during high school, recounted, “Dogherty was a role model, motivator and friend…he is remembered by countless men and women for the values learned of fairness, teamwork and humor and their resulting personal growth.”  Dana Dogherty’s daughter, Susan Dogherty Lawrence echoed similar sentiments when reminiscing about her father’s special qualities, “I was very proud to be his daughter. He was a wonderful father, a unique and special person who was well respected and loved his teaching and coaching jobs.” 

Dogherty left Brewer in 1942 and taught physical education and coached football, basketball, cross country and gymnastics at Cony High School from 1942-1951. His football teams at Cony excelled winning a record 60 games. He then became athletic director from 1952-1972.

In his retirement, Dana Dogherty was an accomplished artisan as a silversmith, goldsmith and glass blower and continued to be very active in the community of Augusta. During his coaching tenure in Brewer, Coach Dogherty raised his two children, Susan and Dana “Dwight” Jr. with his first wife Avis Maddocks. Dogherty also shared two step children, Jeffrey and Judith, with his second wife Virginia Pease Fellows. Coach Dogherty passed away in 1997 at the age of 88. Coach Dogherty is still remembered today as one of the best coaches in school history!   

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INDUCTION PRESENTATION VIDEO OF DANA DOGHERTY

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH ON BEHALF OF DANA DOGERTY

MEMORIES OF DANA DOGHERTY VIDEO

A.D. David Utterback and Pete Lawrence (Dana Dogherty's Grandson)