After not being able to work with the team for the first few weeks of the season, Coach Scott Dunnum stepped up and used what he had to help the men’s bowling team have a great start to the season. Once Dunnum stepped up, he has quickly helped the team find its rhythm with the team chemistry developing more and more each week. Even with so many new faces, he has helped build team chemistry as well as confidence. “He’s very fun to be around and at tournaments he’s super easy to work with,” said junior bowler Nate Arias. “Even when you get pulled from the lineup, he always tries to make fair decisions and helps you learn.”
Over the past few years of coaching, Coach Dunnam has become known on the team for his approachable coaching style and his ability to motivate and bring the most out of his players. Dunnum said, “Bowling is such a mental game, and when a player learns to trust themselves, that’s when everything clicks. My favorite part is watching that confidence build.”
Under Dunnum, the team has had a consistent start to the season being strong overall with multiple finishes in the top three.
Coach Terry McKinney. said having Dunnum at tournaments makes a big difference. “Scott’s great,” he said. “It’s nice having him there because he keeps us focused, but he also keeps things relaxed. That balance really helps.”
Even though he primarily coaches the varsity men’s team, Dunnum does not hesitate to lend a hand to the junior varsity squad. “Oh, we love Scott,” said Alex, “He even helps JV at tournaments, even though he’s the varsity coach. That says a lot about how much he cares.”
Before joining Viterbo, Dunnum spent over a decade in the sport, competing collegiate bowling, in local leagues, and coaching youth bowlers. His experience on the lanes gives him a unique perspective that combines competitive drive with patience and humor. That energy, according to his players, is part of what makes him so effective. “Scott’s the GOAT,” said sophomore Adam Stensrud. “He’s not afraid to push us, and that’s what makes us better.”
Dunnum comes in this year with over 30 years of experience, coaching a range of bowlers from beginners to advanced amateurs. Before joining Viterbo, he led the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse team to a second-place finish at the Club Team National Championship in 2019, coaching a co-ed group that competed against some of the strongest programs in the nation. “As a player, I bowled collegiately,” Dunnum said. “After college, I bowled a lot of scratch tournaments and spent many years competing at USBC Nationals.”
With a long connection to bowling throughout his life as both a player and as a coach, he himself has been impacted and this shows through his way of coaching now. Dunnum values the competitive side of the sport but greatly values the development of the mentality and physicality of his players. Both the players and coaches recognize him. “Scott’s great,” said Coach Terry McKinney. “It’s nice having him at tournaments because he keeps us focused but also keeps it fun. That balance really helps.”
To reach the next level, Dunnum believes in team chemistry, and he stresses communication and unity within the team. “The biggest thing the team can do to become its best version is communicate, ” he said. “Talk to each other about what you’re seeing with the lane conditions and how that’s affecting ball motion. Discuss what equipment changes might be needed. Keep looking ahead, lift each other up, and be supportive no matter what the scenario.”
Overall, Dunnum is a great mentor and leader. Whether he is helping figure out the lanes or the patterns, offering words of encouragement, or making a joke, Coach Dunnum brings heart and history to the Viterbo bowling program. His decades of experience and genuine belief in his athletes have earned him the admiration of everyone around him, especially from the team.
