Mississippi
Valley Names First Soccer Coach
Dean Joseph Tabbed to Head MVSU's Newest Program
January 30, 2003
ITTA BENA, MS – As a youth in South Africa,, Dean Joseph became
a talented and insightful soccer player. During his collegiate days, he
became an All-American and in his early stages of coaching, he began to
dream of one day starting and building his own collegiate team into
that of an NCAA champion.
Now Joseph has his opportunity to realize his dream of creating
a championship team after being tabbed the new head coach of
Mississippi Valley State University's newest athletic program, women's
soccer.
Joseph brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the
school that he hopes will bring about excitement and awareness to the
entire Mississippi Delta region.
"I was extremely excited at the news of becoming the first head
coach at MVSU," Joseph said. "It has always been one of my goals to
develop a program from the ground up. I feel the MVSU family and myself
have very similar goals for this program's future and I look forward to
an exciting challenge."
"Based upon his astute knowledge of the game along with his
enthusiasm, I believe Dean Joseph is the right person to get our
women's soccer program initiated," said Lonza Hardy Jr., MVSU's
Director of Athletics. "He has a proven record of success, he's well-
respected in the coaching and educational circles, and he has the
contacts necessary to make women's soccer one of our premiere sports."
Joseph comes to The Valley after recently serving as the head
coach of the Boys 14 and under 2002 Division II State Champion,
Northwest Rankin club team. Before coaching the Northwest Rankin squad,
Joseph had been the boys' and girls' soccer coach at Jackson Academy
from 2000 to 2002. He coached both the girls' and boys' team to the
state semi-finals in 2000 and 2001.
Joseph coached the various soccer youth teams from 1993 to
1997, including a stop with the Pacesetters Soccer Club in Sylvania, OH
form 1999-2000, the Greater Toledo Soccer Club from 1997-1998 and the
Toledo Celtics in Toledo Ohio from 1993-1997.
Among his coaching duties, Joseph became a consultant to the
his native country's own South African Soccer Academy in 1995 and
remained in that role until just recently.
"I hope to develop a winning-minded group of individuals right
away," Joseph said of his short term plans. "I plan to teach the
players how and why to do the right things both on and off the field.
Winning is a consequence of doing all the right things. I want to make
sure that each student-athlete makes that right decision while
competing as a person and a player."
The ex-professional soccer player and collegiate All-American
was the Director of Coaching for the Jackson Soccer Club in Jackson, MS
from 2000-2002, and the from 1997-1998 served in the same capacity for
the Greater Toledo Soccer Club. He received a Bachelor of Science with
a concentration in Sports Management in 1996 from Tiffin University in
Tiffin, OH.
"MVSU will bring in a more diverse group of students to the
Mississippi Delta region, exposing the youths to a very popular game
throughout the rest of the world. In time, the youths of the Delta
will become more serious about the sport and the community will become
more involved with the sport and the MVSU campus." Joseph said.
Under Joseph, the Devilettes will kick-off their inaugural
season in the fall of 2003.
