It is with great excitement that we announce Dean Hood to lead our football program. As we begin a new era, we are acutely focused on building a comprehensive program equipped to compete at a high level within the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), regionally & nationally, for many years to come. Please join Coach Hood, his family, our department and the nearly 100 student-athletes within our football program as we journey a new path for Murray State Football.
Competitively, aligning our program with the experience and accomplishments Coach Hood has earned throughout his career, infuses great energy and enthusiasm with respect to the future of our program. During his eight years of experience as a head coach in the OVC, Coach Hood maintained the best record (44-19) & highest winning percentage (.698) of any program in the league over that same eight year period. He won two OVC Championships and qualified for the NCAA FCS Football post-season playoffs on three occasions. Coach Hood has served as a Power 5 coordinator on two occasions; defensive coordinator at Wake Forest (2001-07) and most recently, special teams coordinator at Kentucky (2017-19). At both Power 5 stops, Hood’s programs achieved remarkable accomplishments leading Wake Forest to their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 36 years and earning a 10-win season at Kentucky, their fourth in school history.
From a recruiting standpoint, Coach Hood has established himself as one of the preeminent recruiters in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, annually visiting an overwhelming majority of high schools in the Commonwealth. His vision for recruiting top-level talent to our program, aligns with our institutional vision for general student-recruitment. Coach Hood has earned an impeccable reputation as a recruiter within the Commonwealth, regionally, nationally & internationally.
Perhaps most importantly, Coach Hood maintains a comprehensive and impressive whole-person development program. He and I share a similar vision to develop leaders of character, competence and consequence for football and 40+ years of life beyond football. Together, we believe developing the young men in our program as students, persons, players and eventually professionals (in that order of importance), is our greatest responsibility. We will be highly active in the community as we develop relationships, assist those in need and impact our region in a positive manner. I very much look forward to Coach Hood’s, and his staff’s, influence on the young men in our program.
We live in a special place in Murray, KY and serve a proud institution in Murray State University. As we’ve traveled around western Kentucky, our region and nationally, the desire from alumni, former players and current supporters for a comprehensively successful football program is evident. Locally, from Paducah to Madisonville, Mayfield to Henderson, Hopkinsville to Owensboro, Evansville to St. Louis to Nashville to Louisville, and everywhere in between…this is your football program. Please join us in welcoming Dean, Crystal, Trey, Daven, Jada and Cori to their new home; a community that I know welcomes the Hood Family with open arms, supporting hearts and a true passion for the future success of Murray State University and Racer Athletics.
Stay tuned to www.GoRacers.com for the latest updates, including 2020 season ticket availability beginning in early January of 2020. Please join us as we “Clear the Track” for a new era of Murray State Football. Go Racers!
Kevin Saal
Murray State University
Director of Athletics
Racer Football Alumni Association, LLC 