Dean was born in Oklahoma and the family moved from Oklahoma to Washington when he was one. Dean graduated from R.A. Long High School in 1952 where he participated in football, basketball and baseball. Dean was elected 2nd team “All-League” and 3rd team “All-League” in his 2 years of participating in basketball. After high school graduation,
Dean attended Lower Columbia College where he played football and basketball. He married Jackie Coulter in 1953 and went to work for Long Bell. While at Long Bell he helped start the first Babe Ruth Baseball League. In 1956 he went back to LCC and after graduating from LCC, he enrolled at Western Washington College. He graduated from Western in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in teaching. Upon graduating from Western Washington College he took a job coaching baseball and basketball at Bainbridge Island. In 1970 he was selected Head Basketball Coach at Bainbridge Island where he coached for 23 years. At Bainbridge Island he had a career 305 wins and 188 losses record. He also took Bainbridge High to 7th place finish in the State Championships. He took his team to District 18 times out of his 23 years of coaching and was voted “Coach of the Year”, 8 times. He retired from coaching after the 1992-93 season. In 2014 he was inducted into the “Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame”. He was also elected into the “Kitsap Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame” the same year.
After 37 years of teaching, his passion is now golf where he was “Club Champion at Meadowmeer Golf and Country Club and also at Lakeland Village Golf Club. He shot his age every year from age 69 to 81. Dean and his wife, Jackie have been married 54 years and have 2 sons, Steve and Lance, who have been very supportive of his accomplishments.
Dean quotes, “If I were born again I would like to be born as myself, because I have been pretty darn lucky. The old guy upstairs did a pretty good job with me. He gave me one heck of a wife, two great kids and we had great financial and spiritual success. I just think my life has been good and I would want to repeat it.”