New Beginnings for Bulldogs Football

Dean Football hired new head coach, Luke Bakanowksy, as they head into a new conference for the upcoming 2025 season. Bakanowsky was hired in January after the Bulldogs went 0-9 in the 2024 season.

Bakanowsky spent the 2024 season as an offensive coordinator for New England College. New England College went 4-3 in their first season returning to intercollegiate football in 51 years. 

Prior to NEC, Bakanowsky was the Offensive Coordinator for Endicott College in 2022-23. That year they went undefeated and led the conference in points and touchdowns. He also was the Quarterbacks Coach at Merrimack College and Nichols College, so Dean is getting a well-rounded, experienced coach to lead them into the inaugural season in the MASCAC conference. 

He mentioned that he’s “...been really lucky and fortunate to work for some great football programs and great head coaches. I've seen a lot of things that I'll certainly take to Dean College to help build this program up.”  

Bakanowsky is a coach that has seen multiple programs become successful through their culture and the way the program is run. He also talked about how he wants this team and school to be a "home away from home" that will treat them as a family opposed to a name on a depth chart.  

Bakanowsky talked about the great opportunity that comes with joining the MASCAC. He said, “This is an awesome opportunity for this program. With a new staff, new playbooks, new practice structure, it only seems right to join a new conference. This is a fresh start - a clean slate - and this new chapter of Dean Football is going to be an exciting one!” 

The MASCAC conference includes UMASS Dartmouth, WestConn, Plymouth State, Bridgewater State, Mass Maritime, Westfield State, Framingham State, Worcester State, Vermont State Castleton, and Fitchburg State. 

Along with a fresh start at Head Coach, Dean has added Nick Crowley as the defensive coordinator and Dan McKenna as the special teams coordinator. Crowley is coming from Pace University as their Defensive Line Coach, while Mckenna most recently was on the staff of Maine Maritime Academy as the Defensive Coordinator.

This upcoming season of Dean Football will be a pivotal one as they look to improve the team and change the culture. Bakanowsky believes that “this is a place where we can build something special. Being able to lead the resurgence of this program is something that I am appreciative for every single day!”