Just 10 days after leading the Charles Henderson Trojans to the AHSAA 4A title game, head coach Mike Dean turned in his resignation

The Troy City Board of Education approved Dean’s resignation at its monthly meeting Monday evening.

Dean was 23-5 in two seasons as Trojan head coach and is 55-20 overall in his head coaching career. Dean said the decision was not based by on-the-field issues but on wanting what is best for his family.

“This decision first and foremost is about my family and what is best for them,” Dean said. “I came to Troy two years ago wanting this to be home. I have dated my wife since the 10^th grade and we wanted this to be where we raised our children. But we aren’t real happy as a family, and we need to find a place where we are.”

Troy superintendent Lee Hicks said he is sad to lose Dean but understands the desires of the head coach.

“We hate that Coach Dean tendered his resignation,” Hicks said. “He said he wants to be closer to his family. He has family in the Mobile and Birmingham areas. We want to thank him for what he’s done at Charles Henderson.”

Under Dean’s guidance, the Trojans posted two of the finest seasons in the 92-year history of Charles Henderson football.

Dean led the Trojans to a 9-4 record in his first season as head coach in 2012 and finished 14-1 in the most recent campaign. Charles Henderson advanced to the quarterfinals of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 4A playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.

In two seasons as head coach Dean won six playoff games, the same amount of wins his predecessor Hugh Fountain won in 16 seasons as head coach.

“Coach Fountain was here for 16 years and did a good job,” Dean said. “However, our coaching styles are so different that maybe it didn’t mesh well with some. I may not be the best fit for Troy, but I will remember my time here fondly.”

Dean has been a head coach at four different schools in his six-year career as a head coach. He spent one season at Daleville following a long stint as defensive coordinator at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile.  Dean returned to McGill after that year to lead the Jackets to back-to-back playoff appearances.

Dean resigned from McGill-Toolen in February of 2011 and was hired as the head football coach at Valley High School in Opelika in March. After spending one season at Valley, Dean accepted the job at Charles Henderson in February in 2012.

Dean said the timing of his resignation might be a mystery to some, but he feels it is the best situation for everyone involved.

“It gives me a chance to catch my breath and to go out and find a job,” said Dean. “It also gives the school and Mr. Hicks a chance to look for someone to take over. Come the end of January, I don’t have a job; so this gives everyone time to get things taken care of. I didn’t want to do anything secretly.”

Dean’s resignation is effective January 31, 2014.