Former Campbell head coach Dale Steele died Sunday after a battle with cancer, the program has announced. He was 70 years old.
The patriarch of the Camels' football program, Steele brought the team back to life in 2006 after originally going dormant in 1950. Leading the team from 2008-11, Steele turned the Camels into one of the top rushing teams in FCS while producing 192 Pioneer Football League Academic Honor Roll members and 33 All-PFL selections. His 2011 team ripped off five consecutive wins and finished with a 6-5 mark, its first winning season in decades.
Steele was inducted into the CU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.
"Campbell has lost a giant," said Campbell Director of Athletics Hannah Bazemore. "Coach Steele's impact on the lives of countless student-athletes, the members of our greater community and so many others is immeasurable. He built the Campbell football program from scratch, forever transforming the landscape of our campus. He poured everything he had into the people around him, especially his players. Those that knew Coach Steele were fortunate to have him in their lives. Coach Steele was not only a great football coach, but a great man whose vision, unwavering drive and dedication will continue to inspire us every day. Our hearts and our prayers are with Mrs. Pam Steele and the entire Steele family."
The son of a high school coach and the brother of former Baylor head coach and longtime SEC defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, Dale Steele played offensive and defensive line at South Carolina and spent 45 years in the coaching profession. He entered college coaching as a GA at Ball State in 1977 with further stops at Wisconsin, Tulane, Wichita State, Kansas State, East Carolina, Baylor (working alongside Kevin), East Tennessee State, and Elon. Steele won the FCS national championship as the director of football administration at James Madison in 2016. He also served as the FCS representative of the NCAA's Football Issues Committee, and was an active member of the AFCA.
Most importantly, Steele was married to his wife, Pam, for 50 years. He leaves behind two daughters and two granddaughters.
"Coach Steele's legacy goes far beyond the field," Campbell head coach Braxton Harris said. "He made people better. He cared deeply, led with integrity, and left Campbell better than he found it. He was a great coach, but an even better man. We are standing on his shoulders as we move this program that he loved forward, to fulfill his vision for Campbell Football."