Coach Robert Dean

Robert Dean began coaching in 1988 as an assistant at his alma mater, Abraham Lincoln High School in Southeast San Diego. He helped coach the women’s team to Central League champions and CIF finalists in individual sprint and relay events. Under his leadership as a sprint & relays coach from 1988 to 1989 and 1997 to 2003, his athletes captured 3 Harbor League titles and were finalists at the CIF Championships.

In September 2000, while an assistant coach at Southwestern Community College, Dean assisted in coaching a female athlete to Pacific Coast Conference runner of the year.

In 2004, Dean began coaching the sprints and relays at San Diego High School where the athletes have consistently been CIF qualifiers and league finalists in the sprint and relay events. After one-year Dean was appointed the head track and field coach. As the head coach, Dean has led San Diego High girls to 7 City League/Eastern League Championships. The girls' team was undefeated in dual meets for seven years straight. He also has 6 titles on the boy’s side as well.

Although Dean’s reputation as a successful track coach is notable among both colleagues and athletes in the sport, he is most renowned for recruiting local track athletes, even those foreign to his track program, for college scholarships across the country. A certified Level 1 USA track coach & official, Robert Dean’s contribution to the community through track and field continues today.

He has always been passionately concerned with the total student-athlete. In 2015, the San Diego High boy’s track and field team was awarded the Cymer Scholar Award, which was awarded for the highest overall G.P.A. in boy’s track and field for San Diego Unified School District. The G.P.A. was 3.3. Several of his student athletes have gone on to continue their education at colleges and universities across the country.