Josh Embry
Contributing Writer
jembry3@murraystate.edu
After reassigning former Head Coach Mitch Stewart to a separate position in the Murray State Department of Athletics, Dean Hood was hired as the University’s 19th head football coach on Friday, Dec. 13.
Following a disappointing 4-8 season and an overall 19-37 record in five years during Stewart’s tenure, it was decided that the football program needed a fresh start.
Hood was the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of Kentucky this year and held that position since 2017.
UK’s Head Coach Mark Stoops offered high praise of Hood and wished him the best during his time at Murray State.
“I’m very happy for Dean to be named head coach at Murray State,” Hood said. “I had great respect for Dean when he joined our staff, and that respect has continued to grow. He is a seasoned veteran whose work as special teams coordinator and defensive coach has been a big part of our success. I wish him the best in this next chapter of his career.”
During Hood’s introductory press conference, he emphasized that he and his staff would focus not only on developing a winning culture, but also a successful platform for players after their time at Murray State has ended.
“We’re gonna have a goal and win an OVC championship at Murray,” Hood said. “Nobody’s going to work harder at that than us. Our purpose is to use football as a platform to raise up authentic men.”
Hood has been coaching collegiate football for over 30 years and has achieved considerable success at numerous programs.
His most successful tenure as head coach was when he coached Eastern Kentucky University from 2008 to 2015. He compiled a 44-19 record in eight seasons with the Colonels and was the winningest coach in the OVC over that span.
Hood also had a successful stint as defensive coordinator at Wake Forest University from 2001 to 2007, where he led its defense to be one of the best in the country at the time.
Besides coaching at Wake Forest, EKU and UK, Hood has coached in at least some capacity at Fairmont State University (1987-88), Colgate University (1989), Glenville State College (1990-93), Ohio University (1999-00), and University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2016).
As with most collegiate coaches, Hood played collegiately also. He was a defensive back at Ohio Wesleyan University and earned three All-North Coast Athletic Conference selections, as well as an induction into the Ohio Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Hood says that he will look to build a winning and lasting culture at Murray State and will try to lead the Racers to success in the future.