Hood named assistant head coach for Charlotte 49ers

Dean Hood has joined the Charlotte 49ers football program as assistant head coach and tight ends coach. He spent the last eight years as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky and also served as Wake Forest’s defensive coordinator.

“He’ll bring a lot to us and our whole program,” said Brad Lambert, head coach of the 49ers. “He’s run a program, and he’ll be good with our offensive staff. He brings a good defensive mind to the offense. He’s excited about being on offense and coaching the tight ends, and he’s a big special teams guy, so he’ll be a huge asset. He’s been really involved from all three standpoints, obviously, at Eastern Kentucky so he brings a lot to the table.”

While at Eastern Kentucky, Hood was the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the 2011 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. In 2008 and 2014, he was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. The Colonels advanced to the FCS Playoffs three times during Hood’s tenure and posted a 55-38 record.

He spent seven years at Wake Forest from 2001-07 before assuming the head position at EKU. He served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach for the Demon Deacons.

A 1986 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, Hood also has coached at Fairmont (W.Va.) State, Colgate, Glenville (W.Va.) State and Ohio University. He had a previous stint at EKU from 1994-98 as the Colonels secondary coach (1994-96) and defensive coordinator/secondary coach (1997-98).