Dean Keener, a 16-year veteran of college coaching, spent four years at Georgia Tech as an assistant coach on Paul Hewitt[apos]s staff before being named the head coach at James Madison University in April of 2004.
Before coming to Tech, Keener spent the 1999-2000 season at James Madison, helping the Dukes post a 20-9 record. He previously spent a total of six years at Virginia Tech and has also served as an assistant coach in three other Division I programs.
Before going to James Madison for the 1999-2000 season, Keener served two years at Virginia Tech (1998-99) under Bobby Hussey, his college coach at Davidson College. He also worked four years on the Hokies[apos] staff under Bill Foster from 1992-95, during which time Virginia Tech posted a 43-20 record his final two years there, including the NIT Championship in 1995.
In between his stints in Blacksburg, Va., Keener was an assistant to Mike Dement at Southern Methodist for two years (1996-97). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Drake for two seasons (1989-90) and then spent one year as an assistant on George Raveling[apos]s staff at Southern Cal (1991), where his tenure overlapped briefly with Tech head coach Paul Hewitt[apos]s stint as a graduate assistant.
[quote]Dean has done a great job recruiting and overall management of our program.,[quote] said Hewitt, who made Keener one of his first appointments when he became Tech[apos]s head coach. [quote]Dean and I worked together for a short time at USC. I was extremely impressed with him then, and we[apos]ve remained friends over the years.[quote]
A native of Tallmadge, Ohio, Keener received his bachelor[apos]s degree in economics from Davidson in 1988. He served as the Wildcats co-captain and was a member of the school[apos]s 1986 NCAA Tournament team.
Keener is married to the former Meg Young of Radford, Va., and the couple has a daughter, Julia, and a newborn son, Kyle.
