Darian Dulin, a longtime coaching veteran, joined Towson for the 2023 season as the team's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Dulin has been coaching football in the collegiate ranks since 1997 and was part of Pete Shinnick's staff at the University of West Florida from 2017-22.
Year two saw Dulin's defense help Towson earn its first seven-win season since 2019 and first winning CAA season since 2018. Three Tigers were honored in the 2024 All-CAA Awards, including defensive back Myles Brodie and defensive lineman Jurnee Dunbar being selected for the Third Team.
In his first year at Towson, Dulin's defense helped Towson earn its fourth .500-or-better CAA year in the last five seasons. Towson ranked second in the CAA in forced fumbles and third in sacks. Three defensive players earned All-CAA status: Jesus Gibbs (DL) on Second Team, Robert Javier (CB) on Second Team and Dion Crews-Harris (DL) as honorable mention.
Dulin helped West Florida to a 51-15 record from 2017-22, including the 2019 NCAA DII national championship, the 2017 NCAA DII title game and the 2022 NCAA DII semifinal round. The Argos were co-champions of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) in 2021 and 2022 and were the fastest-ever team to make the NCAA DII title game in 2017 in just their second year of competition. In 2019 at West Florida, the Argos ranked No. 1 in the GSC in points allowed per game (19.7), red zone defense and total takeaways, being No. 2 in NCAA DII in the last category.
He also coached D'Anthony Bell, the first-ever West Florida player to play in the National Football League (NFL). The 2021 AP, AFCA and D2 First Team All-American plays safety for the Cleveland Browns.
Dulin came to West Florida after five seasons at Abilene Christian University from 2012-16, being the defensive coordinator and secondary coach, helping the program transition from DII to FCS. He coached L.B. Suggs, the 2012 Lone Star Conference Defensive Back of the Year, and Jabari Butler, the 2015 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year who finished sixth in the voting for FCS Freshman of the Year. The defense finished in the top-three in the league in scoring defense in 2012 and 2014 plus he coached three First Team All-Southland Conference players in his final two years with the Wildcats.
He was the head coach of Coffeyville Community College in Kansas from Dec. 2007 to Nov. 2011, leading the Red Ravens to 22 victories, including a 19-13 record his final three years. Coffeyville earned top-12 NJCAA rankings from 2009-11, including No. 3 in 2010. Dulin coached 17 all-region players and 16 first team all-conference players, including Martrell Spaight, a 2011 NJCAA All-American linebacker, Sylvester Williams, a 2010 NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American defensive tackle, and James Carpenter, a 2008 NJCAA All-American guard.
Dulin had two stints at Tarleton State University from 2000-04 and 2005-07, being a recruiting coordinator, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary coach. The Texans combined for 55 victories in those seven years, including four league divisional titles. In-between those years, he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Butler Community College, leading the Grizzlies to the NJCAA title game, the Region VI title and Jayhawk Conference championship.
He coached defensive backs at Sam Houston State University from 1998-99 after starting his collegiate coaching career at Kansas Wesleyan University as a graduate assistant, special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach in 1997.
Dulin earned Academic All-America honors from Butler County C.C. and Southwestern College, also being the team defensive MVP and Wheat Bowl Defensive MVP in 1996. He graduated from Southwestern in 1997 in mathematics, earning his Master's Degree in education from Tarleton State in 2001. He and his wife, Tiffany, have three children: Brooke, Declin and Dasan.
