Dean played football as a halfback at Northern Illinois University from 1935 through 1937; in addition, he spent one season as a member of the Huskies JV basketball team.

Following World War II, Dean accepted the head coaching position at Austin Junior College, he led the Blue Devils to two winning seasons and the Minnesota Junior College Athletic Association title before resigning to accept the same position at Superior State Teacher's College, continuing to climb the coaching ladder; Dean accepted the head coaching job at Indiana State University; he held the position from 1951 to 1954, and the 1956 season.

Dean resigned after the 1956–57 academic year to return to his alma mater as an assistant to Howard Fletcher; he spent the next eight seasons helping to build a highly successful program; the Huskies won Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) titles in 1963 and 1964 and the AP National Championship (College Division) in 1963.

[1] He promised a diverse offense, utilized the T, split-T, and the single-wing, but said ultimately, his system would fit the talent of team.

The one-time holder of the school's career all-purpose yardage record (3,668 yards), Dean, played halfback and quarterback for Fletcher, was named the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior, and pursued professional football with the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Edmonton Eskimos.