Tommy Dean, best known for his coaching talents at South Side High School, will join John Collins, AJ Merriweather, James Parker and Jennifer Moore-Wilkerson as the newest members of the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame.
The five will become the 36th class to be inducted when ceremonies are held at 6:30 p.m., April 14, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
Mike and Pam McCarty are the recipients of the 2022 Billy Schrivner Distinguished Service Award.
Tommy Dean, a Madison County native, is honored for his coaching success, primarily as a volleyball and softball coach at South Side High School in Jackson.
Dean coached the Lady Hawks’ volleyball team 23 years and softball team nine years. He guided the volleyball teams to nine state tournaments, six region championships and 12 district titles. His softball teams won two regional and six district crowns. Dean retired from coaching and full-time teaching in 2019.
A celebrated baseball player in his youth, Dean graduated from Beech Bluff High School in east Madison County in 1966. He was a shortstop and pitcher and helped lead two teams to the Dixie Youth World Series as a teenager.
“That second World Series was in Meridian, Miss., about four hours from Jackson,” Dean said, laughing. “Four of us rode all the way from the Bemis YMCA to Meridian in the back of a pickup truck. But, hey, we were young and had a ball.”
Dean also played and coached in American Legion baseball and later coached his son Scott in two Dixie Youth World Series after winning state titles.
Dean played baseball at Jackson State Community College two years for Coach Jack Martin before going to Lambuth College, where he earned a degree in 1982. He coached a year each at Alamo High School and McKenzie High before leaving education to work elsewhere.
One day South Side High School Principal Jimmy Arnold, who coached Dean in basketball and baseball at Beech Bluff, asked him if he ever thought about getting back into coaching. Dean told Arnold, “I think about it all the time.” That led to Arnold hiring Dean as South Side’s softball coach in the summer of 1996. But it didn’t end there.
When Dean got up to leave that meeting, Arnold mentioned that he needed coaches for soccer and volleyball. Dean was silent. Arnold then asked, “What do you know about soccer?”
Dean answered, “When the ball gets close to you, kick it.” Without hesitation, Arnold said, “You better go to volleyball.”
Dean’s legacy as the “grandfather” of West Tennessee volleyball began that day. He took a program that drew about a dozen parents to see matches and turned the Lady Hawks into an area powerhouse that filled the gym with spectators. Arnold once told Dean, “I never dreamed I’d see a $1,500 gate at a volleyball match.”
Dean’s career record in volleyball was 664-220. His 2008 team set a school mark for wins with a 46-11 record, and his teams earned 30 or more wins 12 times. Dean was named District Coach of the Year eight times and TACA West Tennessee Coach of the Year four times. His last five volleyball teams advanced to the state tournament. He got to coach his daughter Michelle and his granddaughter Shea at South Side, and both earned Player of the Year honors.
“I never expected to turn volleyball into something as popular as it was at South Side,” Dean said. “Other schools formed teams, and it made me feel good when younger coaches would call me to ask about things to do at practice and how to build a competitive team.”
After 23 years, Dean retired having reached most of the goals he set for his coaching career. He thought he would get to do a lot more fishing and enjoy a more relaxed life with Jackie, his bride of 39 years. But he is still on the go, substitute teaching most days at South Side or Madison Academic and working as a TSSAA volleyball official. He also umpires baseball games, just as he has for close to 30 years.
“I really enjoy being an official and umpiring,” he said. “It keeps me close to the sports and all the good folks involved in the games. I’m hoping I can keep it up another five years or so.”
For tickets and reservations to the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, call Beth Sedberry (731) 616-8558.
– Dan Morris
(PHOTO: Tommy Dean)
