Dennis S. Kozlowski

Category
2001
About This Inductee
 Kozlowski lettered in football, basketball, and baseball at Hazleton High.  At Bethel High School in Hampton, VA. he coached six state championship teams, three in football and three in track.  He taught and coached at Bethel for 32 years prior to retiring last year.
At Bethel, he coached Philadelphia 76er basketball star Allen Iverson for three years in football.  He was a super football player for Kozlowski.  Kozlowski, who lettered in three sports at Hazleton High, retired from high school coaching ranks last year after 28 years as head track coach at Bethel High, 25 years as head football coach and 16 years as athletic director.  In the same span of time, Bethel captured 21 Peninsula District titles and 10 Eastern Regional championships.  He coached AAA state championship football teams in 1974, ’76, and ’92 and Eastern Regional and Peninsula District champions the same years.  His 1996 team was the Eastern Regional runner-up and his 1980 and 1991 teams added two more Peninsula District titles.  Overall, he retired with a 172-86 record in football.  He was named football “Coach of the Year” in 1976 and 1991 and was the rated fourth in the state in AAA by the Virginia state association.  In track, Kozlowski owned the best dual meet record in the state among active coaches with 145 wins.  He coached state championship teams in 1977, ’84, and ’86 and was a Virginia Association coach nominee in 1986.
Kozlowski taught English at Bethel High from 1968 to 2000.  He had been chairman of the Peninsula Disctrict’s athletic directors organization since 1983, track meet director for Peninsula District, Eastern Regional and state directors organization since 1983, track meet director for Peninsula District, Eastern District’s athletic directors organization since 1983, track meet director for Peninsula District, Eastern Regional and state indoor and outdoor meets and was named Peninsula Sports Club “Man of the Year” in 1977 and 1993.  Kozlowski has stayed in the game as defensive line coach at Division III Newport News College.  He was one of the finalists for an assistant’s job at William and Mary and several other colleges.  Kozlowski lettered in football under Coach Tony Scarcella and played varsity basketball under Danny Gregoria.  In football, he was the team’s kicker during the 1959, ’60, and ’61 seasons, Kozlowski, an end, was the top receiver on the team.
In basketball Kozlowski averaged 5.3 points a game as a junior on a 9-13 team.  In his senior year, he was the second leading scorer on a 5-17 team with an average of 14.8 points a game., second to Tom Carlyon’s 15.1.
Kozlowski graduated from Frederick College i n Portsmouth, VA., where he lettered in football and track. Kozlowski and his wife, who reside in Poquoson, Virginia, have three children, two boys and a girl, and three grandchildren.