Burlington tabs Mediapolis native Griffin Dean as next head varsity baseball coach

Matt Levins, The Hawk Eye
·2 min read
Griffin Dean (center), a native of Mediapolis, has been named head coach of the Burlington High School baseball team for the 2023 season, pending school board approval.
Griffin Dean (center), a native of Mediapolis, has been named head coach of the Burlington High School baseball team for the 2023 season, pending school board approval.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That is the old adage that Griffin Dean intends to apply in his first season as head varsity baseball coach at Burlington High School next summer.

Burlington activities director Jay Huff announced Dean's hiring on Monday, pending approval by the school board at its December meeting.

Dean, a 2016 graduate of Mediapolis High School, spent last season as the sophomore baseball coach at Burlington.

Now, he is ready to take the reins as head coach, replacing Brock Schneden, who resigned after 11 years with a 194-201 career record.

It is the opportunity Dean has been waiting for.

"This is definitely the position I have been shooting for now for a while," Dean said. "I did my internship with the Grayhounds in 2018 and I have been on the staff off and on for the last three seasons. I have known Brock for eight, nine, 10 years now. I am looking forward to the next challenge."

Dean, who spent four years as an assistant baseball coach at Graceland University, coached one season in the Pioneer College Baseball League and one season at Ellsworth Community College, played mostly first and second base at Mediapolis.

Since joining the BHS staff three years ago as a volunteer, Dean has worked closely with Schneden.

Dean said BHS fans shouldn't expect to see much difference in the Grayhounds' approach to the game next summer.

"Brock and I have a lot of the same philosophies," said Dean, a dispatcher for Tucker Freight Lines. "I like a laid back, relaxed style of coaching. I never liked demanding coaches. I ran into several coaches who wanted to be the Bob Knight of baseball. That just doesn't work in this day and age. You can't coach that way anymore. I want my players to know me for me."

Burlington graduated eight seniors from a team which went 25-6 last summer, including 15-2 to win the Southeast Conference. The Grayhounds were 27-7 and won the conference with an 18-1 record in 2021.

Dean is looking forward to getting started.

"We have a few seniors coming back this year," Dean said. "It's always next man up, so that's what we've got to do."

Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA Today Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 32 years at The Hawk Eye. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Burlington tabs Mediapolis native Griffin Dean as next head varsity baseball coach