Chelsea Varsity football has a new football coach and he’s excited about being a Bulldog.

The Chelsea School District announced on Jan. 25, the hiring of Noel Dean as the head coach for the Chelsea High School football program for the upcoming 2024-2025 season.

The hiring announcement said, “A distinguished member of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Dean brings a wealth of experience and an impressive track record to the Bulldogs. Dean becomes only the fifth person to lead the Chelsea Football program since 1966, joining Phil Bareis 1966-1978, Eugene LaFave 1979-1996, Brad Bush 1997-2017, and Josh Lucas 2018-2023.”

“I am excited to join a community that appreciates high academic standards, developing strong character in all of our students, while still pursuing championships on the field. Chelsea is a perfect match for my wife and myself and we cannot wait to be involved with the entire Chelsea community,” Dean said in the announcement.

According to the school district, Dean’s coaching journey began in 1991 when, at the age of 22, he assumed the role of head coach at Bendle High (Burton, MI).

“His impressive coaching career reached its pinnacle at Lowell High School (Grand Rapids), where his teams secured state titles in 2002, 2004, and 2009,” the school district said in the announcement. “Under his leadership and direction, Lowell’s football program achieved three additional appearances in the state finals, nine regional championships, twelve district titles, ten OK White conference championships, twenty playoff appearances and fifteen Academic All-State teams.”

Dean has spent the last three seasons as the head coach of Tift County (Tifton, Georgia) and “is eager and excited to return home to Michigan and to lead the Bulldog program.”

He has a coaching record of 241-68 and a streak of 25 consecutive winning seasons with Lowell High and Bendle High. The school district said, “Dean’s impact on Michigan High School Football is truly remarkable.”

The school district and Chelsea High School said they are enthusiastic about the positive experiences Dean will undoubtedly bring to an already rich and successful football tradition in Chelsea.

Of the hiring, CSD Athletic Director Matt Cunningham said, “While Coach Dean has an exemplary track record on the field, his commitment to building character and influencing the lives of the students he coaches is equally impressive. His vision for what a successful program looks like aligns with the values the Chelsea School District seeks to maximize the potential of our students. I am excited to welcome Noel, his wife Jill, and the rest of the Dean family to the Chelsea community to lead our football program.”

This sentiment is shared by Chelsea High School Principal, Dr. Nicholas Angel , who said of the new coach, “Coach Dean brings a tremendous amount of experience to our program with core values being at the center of his coaching philosophy. Coach Dean understands the role of the development of the entire student-athlete and this aligns with the principles of our Chelsea Community. We will continue to prioritize strong participation rates, high academic standards, character development and competitive teams that are rooted in multi-sport athletes, a commitment to our strength and conditioning program and doing things the ‘Bulldog Way’. We are excited to have Coach Dean joining our well-established family.”