Describing the last two years as “rough” in a community “not accepting” of his family and also not seeing a bright future, Charles Henderson coach Mike Dean has tendered in his resignation as head football coach, athletic director and physical education teacher.
Dean’s resignation was accepted Monday night by the Troy City School Board, effective Jan. 31, 2014.
Dean said he does not have another job lined up but said the time was right to make a move for family reasons. He said he was not forced out by Charles Henderson administration or board members.
Dean, who followed Hugh Fountain’s 16-year tenure at Charles Henderson, was 23-5 in his two years at CHHS, going 9-4 and reaching the state quarterfinals in 2012 then 14-1 with Class 4A state runner-up honors this past year.
“It has been a rough two years,” Dean said Monday night, talking about his decision before the Dothan Eagle Super 12 football and volleyball banquet where he was named the area’s Coach of the Year for the 14-1 state runner-up season.
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“If we are just not the answer for Charles Henderson … If my personality is too rough I guess or if I am too much of a control freak as I want things a certain way … and if that is too much to change after a 16-year period and I am not the right person long-term then I want to give them enough time to get the right person for those kids in the community.
“At the same time, I have an obligation to my wife and my kids. It can’t be about Mike Dean. It is time for my kids, my wife. They have been unselfish for way too long for me. I want to make them happy.”
Dean, who said several times that he was “exhausted”, indicated his wife and two kids – a freshman son and a 10-year-old daughter – were not totally happy in Troy.
“Troy is a very cliquish town,” Dean said. “We have only been there two years, and it has been hard to get into that circle of people, so it has been difficult for my wife and my kids to be accepted in some ways.”
Dean admitted with Troy being a small town, many friendships had long been established for classmates from kindergarten on up, making it hard for his kids to develop friendships.
“It was an outsider type thing,” Dean said.
In following Fountain, who had a highly-successful career at Charles Henderson, Dean indicated he too didn’t feel totally accepted either.
“It is hard because Fountain was there for 16 years, so you are coming in after someone for 16 years, and my way is a different contrast to how to do things (than Fountain),” Dean said.
“It has been a difficult adjustment for my family, and from my aspect, it has been difficult because coach Fountain was there 16 years. You think of how many years his system has been in place, and we are both very different.”
In addition, Dean felt he was not getting help from the community in trying to build his program. He said he didn’t see that changing either.
“You explain to them the problems you see and problems you feel,” Dean said. “When you are winning and it doesn’t change, it is not going to. It doesn’t mean I am right or they are wrong. It is just Troy. They have done it for a long time, and it won’t change overnight. It is how they do things. It goes back to that circle, and that is how they do things.”
He added of the situation, “Here you are winning, and it is not going to change. What happens when you start losing? It worries you. It bothers you.
“You go through and you set up guidelines and you want a hall of fame, you want a wall of fame and you have certain fundraisers, but nobody answers you, nobody responds to you in a two-year period.”
Dean, who often describes himself as a perfectionist, said he knows what it takes to win, but doesn’t see some of that success possible in the future at Charles Henderson with his method.
“You set the guidelines and goals and you know what needs to be done to be successful, not just today, but five years from now. For me to look down the line and say we are going to be as successful in five years from now, it will be very difficult with how we are doing things (here), at least for me. It will be extremely difficult to see us being successful if I don’t do the things the way I feel need to be done.”
He will remain at Charles Henderson through January to help with the weight program while a head coach is found. Dean said he felt it would have been unfair to the kids and to the school to look for a job and leave in the spring when they need to hire a coach as soon possible to get on board for workouts and spring practices.
“This gives me time to look, gives them time to start the process, but at the same time they are not left where those kids have no structure and there is no organization. This is not a bailing and jumping or I have a job and I am leaving.”
Charles Henderson was Dean’s fourth head coaching position in six years. He guided Daleville in 2008, McGill-Toolen in 2009-10 and Valley in 2011 before coming to Troy. He was a success in each of the four places and has a career record of 55-20 overall.
“We are not happy (as a family) and if I am not the right person and the right fit long term for Charles Henderson in Troy then we need to find where we are supposed to be as a family whether it is going back (south Alabama) to where my mother lives and where my wife’s family is from or going to Birmingham where my brothers are or whomever might want me,” Dean said.
“If we are not happy, why fake it? Why continue to bust our tail when we are not totally happy and maybe they are not totally accepting. I have to make my family happy. That is what it comes down to.”
Dean said his ultimate goal is to “find a home for his family.”
“I just want to find a home. That is my important thing. A place that will accept us, will accept my wife and my kids and yes, at the time allow me to build a championship program from the ground up. I am not perfect and I don’t do everything right. There is a method behind my madness, but we have won. We have won everywhere I have been.
“We are tired of moving. No place is perfect, but the good has to outweigh the bad. We are looking for that place. It doesn’t mean Troy isn’t a good place. Troy is a great place. I think long term we are not a good match. It could be me. It could be something wrong with me. Maybe it is just me.”