Steve Tirrell has stepped down as the Dean College Football head coach, his last day was Friday, December 3rd. (Photo Courtesy: D3football.com)
Steve Tirrell has announced his resignation as head coach of the Dean Bulldogs football program after six seasons. Tirrell’s last day on campus was Friday, December 3rd.
Tirrell provided The Dean Daily with a statement: “I resigned for personal reasons to pursue a new challenge. Unfortunately, I cannot share any details at this time. The last six years at Dean have been truly enriching. I want to thank Dr. Paula Rooney for the opportunity to transition the Dean College Football Program from the NJCAA into Division III of the NCAA. I wish her the very best as she retires at the end of the school year. I would also like to thank Athletic Director George Martin for his continued support and wish him and the athletic staff great success as they move forward. I have been fortunate to have worked with some great people on this campus. Those that truly embody the Dean Difference; Those that care for each other and the students. I want to thank my staff for their dedication and hard work and wish them and their families the very best. Most of all, I want to thank our players. I will miss you all. You have been an important part of my family since arriving on campus in 2015. I am thankful for our past successes and embrace our defeats as learning moments in life; never settling, never giving up. You are men of great integrity and character. You are a family like no other. You are Dean Bulldogs. Bulldog for Life.”
Under his vision, Tirrell helped the Bulldogs transition from the Junior College level to NCAA Division III. Tirrell also quickly turned the program into conference champions when he took over in 2015. The Bulldogs won the 2019 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference regular season championship and advanced to a New England bowl series game. Tirrell was also named the 2019 ECFC Coach of the Year, in part due to the team’s offense being one of New England’s most high-powered.
This past season, the Bulldogs finished 2-8. However, the team did have six ECFC first team all-conference selections, two second team honorees and four honorable mention picks. One of his players also earned a New England Football Writers Gold Helmet Award, was an All-New England selection and was selected to the d3football.com Team of the Week.
Several of Tirrell’s players did not see this move coming and were emotional about it. “Coach Tirrell was a good coach, and I’ll forever be thankful that he gave me the opportunity to play college football. His biggest impact on me was the way he welcomed me and the other first year players to the football program, and I was sad to hear that he was resigning” Dean sophomore cornerback Josh Tata explained.
There are reports emerging that Tirrell will join Don Brown’s coaching staff at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. “We cannot confirm that information at this time,” was the statement from UMass on the possibility.
As it relates to the Dean program going forward, Athletic Director George Martin explained the process for naming his successor. “We have posted the position and already had a large group of applicants. I have begun to make some initial screening calls, and this will continue over the next week or so,” Martin said. “Once the field of applicants has been narrowed, the top two or three candidates will be invited to campus to interview. The candidates will meet with groups from around campus, including the team. We hope to have a new coach in place before classes begin second semester.”