Blue Devils Coach Won’t Return after 2023 Season
After serving the past two seasons as the Tift County head football coach, Noel Dean has decided that his third season will be his last. In a letter to the Tift County School District last week, Dean indicated that he would not seek to renew his contract, and that this would be his final season as the Blue Devils head coach.
Following the release of that letter, Dean appeared on his weekly ITG Next Georgia podcast, where he was candid about the events that led to his decision.
“It became apparent to me that with some of the things that had gone on in our community in the last week and a half, I have some folks who had not expressed the truth on some things, and it was impacting my family,” Dean said during the podcast.
Dean was mostly referring to a petition, started by a handful of parents of Tift County players, that has circulated throughout the community, seeking signatures in support of removing Dean from his coaching duties.
“Things have become so confrontational, that it has just got to the point where it’s so toxic,” Dean said.
Dean said that at the recent homecoming parade, there were insults and name calling directed at members of his family, namely his wife.
“My wife was yelled at and screamed at during the homecoming parade and at the [ homecoming game that followed the parade against Florida’s Gadsden County],” Dean said, his frustration evident. “My wife is the sweetest and quietest person I know.”
Ironically, Tift County would win that game in a 17-0 shutout, the Blue Devils’ best performance of the season. But, according to Dean, the win did nothing to quiet his critics. Instead, it seemed to make things worse.
“After the win Friday night, they just doubled down,” he said. “This is just nuts. My wife and I deserve better.”
The embattled coach has stated that he wants to finish out the season in support of his players, especially the seniors on the Tift roster.
“I didn’t want people thinking I’m resigning, because I’m not,” Dean said. “I’m simply not renewing my contract, because I want to finish out this season with these seniors. When you love kids, as we have grown to love these kids, and have helped them get better with their academic success, I want to continue coaching them. My focus is on finishing this season with these seniors. I decided to come to Tifton not because I needed a job but because I wanted to help these kids.”
Dean said that he didn’t see any other way to silence his critics than to leave, but that he wanted to do it on his terms.
“I’m trying to end the distractions for some that are coming after me, so I’ll go away, but I want to finish out what we started with these seniors,” he said.
When Dean was hired, Tift County had finished 5-15 in the previous two seasons (2019-20), including a combined 0-6 in region play. In his first season, Dean led Tift County to a 6-5 record, which included their first region victory in two seasons, a 20-14 win over Camden County. The Blue Devils finished as the No. 3 seed in Region 1-7A, which put them into the state playoffs, where they lost 28-14 at Marietta.
Last season, Tift County fell to 1-9 and was winless in region play. Through the first five games this season, Tift is 1-4, with region play beginning Friday night against Northside Warner Robins.
Dean hopes these final few weeks will bring some civility among Blue Devils fans and supporters, regardless of how they feel about the head coach.
“Maybe we can start acting like Jesus would want us to act, and just take care of and focus on these kids,” he said.
