David Dean Named Valdosta State's New Football Coach

Blazer offensive coordinator becomes eighth head coach in VSU history

VALDOSTA, Ga. - David Dean has been named head coach of the Valdosta State football team, according to an announcement made by VSU President Dr. Ronald Zaccari Friday afternoon.

Dean, who has served as the Blazers’ offensive coordinator the last seven years, brings a wealth of knowledge to his new position. He has tallied 19 years of collegiate coaching experience during his professional career and is entering his 12th season overall with the Blazers.

Dean has spent the last seven seasons as offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator with the Blazers, leading the VSU offensive unit to its most productive years in team history. During his first season, the 2000 Valdosta State team led the NCAA Division II ranks in both passing offense and total offense and quarterback Dusty Bonner won the Harlon Hill Trophy as Division II’s top player. The team was fifth in total offense in 2001, with Bonner again claiming honors as the nation’s top player. Dean was instrumental in the Blazers reaching the 2002 national championship game as well as Valdosta State’s national championship victory in 2004. Overall, the Blazers have won four Gulf South Conference championships under Dean and three players were named GSC Offensive Player-of-the-Year under his tutelage. In addition to Bonner winning the honor twice, Aaron Jenkins also won the award in 2002. Valdosta State set 21 single season team offensive records during Dean’s time as offensive coordinator, while the special teams unit established five new school marks under his direction.

Prior to Valdosta State, Dean spent eight seasons at the University of West Georgia, first as the running backs coach before assuming the school’s offensive coordinator position his last two seasons. West Georgia won two Gulf South Conference championships under Dean and quarterback Jeremy Clements was named the league’s 1998 Offensive Player-of-the-Year, Dean’s first year as the school’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Dean, who turns 43 on February 3, is in his second stint with Valdosta State. He began his collegiate coaching career by spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach on Mike Cavan’s staff between 1988 and 1992. He also served as wide receivers coach at Avondale High School during the 1987 season and spent the 1986 school year as a graduate assistant coach at Georgia Tech. Dean walked on to the Georgia Tech squad in 1982 and earned a scholarship the following season as he played wide receiver for the Yellow Jackets through the 1985 school year.

“We are very pleased and excited to be moving our football program forward with Coach Dean,” said VSU Athletic Director Herb Reinhard. “The Valdosta State football team has had a tremendous tradition and great success throughout its history and especially the last seven years under the tutelage of Chris Hatcher. We certainly believe that David Dean will continue this success.

“I have had the opportunity to work with David and witness first hand his professionalism, his passion and zeal for Valdosta State and his ability to serve as both a mentor and teacher for our student-athletes,” Reinhard concluded. “There is no doubt we have put our football program in extremely capable hands today.”

David Dean Biographical Information

• http://www.valdosta.edu/news/redirect/dean.bio.011907>http://www.valdosta.edu/news/redirect/dean.bio.011907/