Mickey Dean Named Auburn Head Softball Coach

Mickey Dean has been named Auburn’s head softball coach, Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs announced Thursday. Dean comes to Auburn after five seasons as the head coach at James Madison.

Dean is widely regarded as one of the elite coaches in the country for taking programs to unprecedented heights while developing student-athletes to earn national acclaim.

“Coach Dean’s accomplishments at JMU are remarkable,” Jacobs said. “He’s won consistently at every level throughout his career. He’s done it the right way, winning with class and integrity while graduating his student-athletes at a high level. Auburn already has a winning program and we’re going to get even better. He’s a great fit for Auburn.”

In 11 years at the collegiate level, Dean has coached seven NCAA Tournament teams, including one super regional participant, and won nine conference championships.

A native of Elkton, Va., Dean has guided 76 all-conference players, 40 all-region honorees and seven all-Americans, including 2017 National Player of the Year, Megan Good. He has also been touted as the conference coach of the year eight times.

“It is an honor to be named the leader of the Auburn softball program,” Dean said. “I want to thank President Leath, Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs and the Board of Trustees for the exciting opportunity to lead this program.

“The future is bright for Auburn softball. We want the fans to be as excited as we are to come out and watch the program represent them in the highest standing.”

During his five-year stint at James Madison, Dean complied a record of 237-56 (.809). He amassed five 40-win seasons, including the final two campaigns with 52 and 50 victories, respectively.

The Dukes broke 104 program records, including over 40 pitching records while boasting one of the nation’s top staffs under Dean’s guidance.

Prior to his reign in Harrisonburg, Va., Dean spent six seasons as the head coach at Radford where he took the Highlanders to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010.

Before taking the position at Radford, Dean served as an assistant coach at Akron (2001-02), Indiana (2002-04) and Longwood (2005-06).

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Dean has also worked on the professional and international level.

He was the pitching coach for the Venezuelan National Team (2002-08) and the head coach for the Chicago Bandits (2004-10) that finished as the National Pro Fastpitch regular season champions five times and won the title in 2008.

Dean was named NPF Manager of the Year three times and coached world-renowned pitcher Jennie Finch, who was the NPF’s Co-Pitcher of the Year in 2005 and has a gold and silver medal from her two Team USA Olympic appearances.

A 1987 graduate of Elon University, Dean was a pitcher on the baseball team where was a four-year letterwinner.

Dean and his wife, Liz, have one son, Isaac, and one daughter, Caroline.