Dean tops list of coaches new to EMU sports program

Four new coaches will start their tenure at EMU this semester. The Field Hockey, Softball, Men’s Basketball, and Women’s Basketball programs all lost head coaches due to resignations following the spring sports season.

Numerous applicants were screened for each position and a Selection Committee reviewed resume’s, did background checks, and conducted personal interviews to determine the most qualified coach.

Brenda Bechler was hired as Head Coach of the field Hockey team, and J.D. McCurdy accepted a position as Head Coach of Softball. Richard McElwee will lead the women’s basketball program while Kirby Dean will take over the men’s program.

After consecutive losing seasons under former Men’s Basketball coach Tom Baker, EMU hired Dean as the new head coach in an attempt to build a quality basketball team for EMU.

Dean is a 1992 alumni of EMU. He has spent the past eleven years as either an assistant coach or head coach. He began his coaching career as an assistant Baker. He then headed to VMI as an assistant coach to Bart Bellairs for eight years. Last year he was the head coach of the boy’s basketball team at Waynesboro high school.

The selection process began last spring when former coach Tom Baker resigned. Throughout the process three people were considered for taking over the job. Iowa Mennonite High School coach Dwight Gingerich, Hesston College head coach Luke Hartman, and Dean. Luke Hartman withdrew from the running because, according to the Daily News-Record, he felt as if he couldn’t leave Hesston wondering whether or not they would have their coach returning for the next seasons.

"I just hope I didn’t burn any bridges by withdrawing because I have a vested interest in Eastern Mennonite and am loyal to Eastern Mennonite. It just wasn’t time for me. It just got tight for me." Hartman told a DNR reporter. graduated from EMU in 1991.

The selection committee, which consisted of Herm Weaver, Roger Mast, Paul Johnson, Jeremy Newman, Colleen Rhodes, Larry Martin, and John Bomberger, then had to decide on either Dean or Gingerich. The committee unanimously decided that Kirby Dean was the best fit for this school.

According to Larry Martin, Dean was the most suitable for this position for many reasons. He lives on the east coast and is more knowledgeable about the surrounding area; he has been working in this area for the past eleven years as a basketball coach. Part of that work was at VMI, which is a division one school and therefore has been coaching at a very high level of play. The committee also liked that he graduated from EMU, even though other two candidates also did.

Dean will have to coach this team without a full time assistant coach. EMU is the only team in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference without a full time paid assistant. In an interview last year, Baker said he believed that this was a reason why the team has been at a disadvantage. It didn’t give him as much time as he would have liked to recruit players. EMU is unable to give an assistant coach because the athletic budget is not large enough to hire one. Dean realized when he was signed that he would not have one, but hopefully he can turn the team around without one.