When Dean Johnson took over as head softball coach at then Caldwell College in the spring of 1995, the plan was for his term to be interim. Already an athletics administrator and assistant basketball coach, Johnson stepped in when the newly hired coach resigned abruptly days before the season opener.
Twenty nine years and 924 wins later, the rest, as they say, is history.
Johnson stayed on as head coach, and the program's improvement came not just in wins (9-15 the year prior to 15-10 in his initial season), but in stability, prestige and respect. Suddenly the Cougars were perennial winners, and as the school moved to NCAA Division II from its NAIA roots, even greater success followed.
The 2004 Caldwell College softball team remains the most decorated in school history, posting at 45-7 record en route to clean sweeps through the CACC and NCAA Northeast Region tournaments to the Division II College World Series, where they held their own with the rest of the nation's best.
Johnson's teams won 11 CACC Regular season and eight Tournament titles, appearing in 16 NCAA East Regoinals. He was selected CACC Coach of the Year 10 times and earned election to the Caldwell University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 as well as the prestigious Caldwell Cup in 2008.
Johnson retired from softball coaching following his team's last NCAA East Regional appearance in 2023, taking over the Caldwell University men's basketball program after serving as assistant coach for three decades. His 2023-24 hoopsters won the team's first CACC championship and NCAA Regional appearance in 16 years and first NCAA tournament victory ever.
Some highlights:
In
2023, Johnson guided the Cougars back to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 16th time during his tenure. Caldwell won 30+ for the 20th time during his career, finishing the season with a 35-19 overall record. The Cougars secured the #5 seed in the NCAA D2 East Region 1. The 2023 Cougars earned six CACC All-Conference honorees, three all-region selections and one Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner.Â
In
2022, the Cougars went 39-17, advancing to the CACC Tournament semifinals and secured the #4 seed in the NCAA D2 East Region 1. In the East Region 1, the Cougars won their first two games to reach the East 1 finals before falling to top seed Adelphi University. For his efforts, Johnson earned CACC Coach of the Year honors tenth time in his career. The Cougars earned earned CACC All-Conference honorees, including the CACC Rookie of the Year, four all-region selections and one All-American.Â
Johnson reached 850 career victories as he guided the Cougars to a 20-11-1 record and finished in sixth place in the CACC with a 16-10 conference mark in
2021. The Cougars won their opening round contest to reach the CACC Quarterfinals. Johnson’s team earned three all-conference selections, two all-region honorees and one CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient.
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In
2019, Johnson earned his 800th career coaching victory with a 4-1 win over St. Thomas Aquinas College on March 24, 2019. He guided the Cougars to a 32-23 overall record that season and finished in third place in the CACC with a 20-6 conference record. The program earned five all-conference honorees including the CACC Rookie of the Year. Three of Johnson’s 2019 squad earned all-region honors and one was selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-American, the sixth honoree during Johnson’s era.
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In
2018, Johnson guided to Cougars to their 17th 30-win season as they finished with a record of 35-18. Caldwell captured the regular season title with a 24-4 mark went 4-0 in the conference tournament win the conference championship for a second straight season. Caldwell earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA DII Tournament for an eleventh consecutive season.
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In
2017, Johnson guided the Cougars to their 16th 30-win season and fifth 40-win season as they finished with a 45-15 record. The program tied the single season win mark of 45, previously achieved in 2004, 2013 and 2014. The Cougars won the regular season title with a conference record of 25-1. He led the Cougars to their seventh conference title and earned the #3 seed in the NCAA DII East Region. Caldwell earned the CACC Player of the Year for a second straight season in Marisa Monasseri, who was also named as the NFCA Diamond Catcher of the Year. Sydney Ponto earned CACC Pitcher of the Year honors and was selected as the CACC Tournament MVP. Â It was the 17th season in a row that the Cougars won 20+ games and he has guided Caldwell to 30+ wins in 16 of the last 17 seasons at the helm of the Cougars. He was selected as the CACC Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career and earned ECAC Coach of the Year honors for the second time.
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 In
2014, Caldwell went 45-9 overall and 24-2 in the CACC to finish atop the league standings. After winning the sub-regional at Adelphi in the Cougars’ 10th NCAA appearance in the last 11 years, Caldwell lost to LIU Post in the third game of the best-of-three East Region Championship, falling one-win shy of the national quarterfinals. In 2013, Caldwell finished with a 45-12 record that included the team’s first CACC Tournament title since 2008. The championship earned the Cougars an automatic bid into the NCAA Regional, where they won twice before losing in the sub-regional finals. He received his seventh CACC Coach of the Year award.
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The Cougars went 32-25 in
2011, advancing to the finals of the sub-regional at C.W. Post and receiving votes in the final NFCA Top 25 Poll. Caldwell appeared in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll in 29 of 30 polls stretching from 2004 to 2007. In 2012 the Cougars finished 39-16 and won a pair of games at the regional to advance to the final day for the third time in four years.
In
2009, the Cougars participated in the regional and advanced to the finals at Le Moyne. They finished 37-18-2 overall and 20-4 in the CACC, receiving votes in the final NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll. The 2010 campaign saw Caldwell finish 42-16 and set program records for regular-season victories (40) and conference wins (23). That year Johnson received his fifth CACC Coach of the Year award and was named the ECAC Coach of the Year.
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In
2005, Johnson led the Cougars to a 40-11 overall record, including an 18-2 mark in the CACC. Caldwell repeated as CACC Tournament champions and advanced to the Northeast Region Tournament for the second straight year. In 2006, the Cougars made it three consecutive CACC Tournament titles and again qualified for the regional tourney, finishing with a 37-16 record. After losing in the finals in 2007, Caldwell returned to the top of the league in 2008 by winning the CACC Tournament for the fourth time in five years.
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The Cougars reached the pinnacle of college softball in
2004, when they captured the Northeast Region Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II College World Series. Johnson’s squad finished 45-7 and was ranked seventh in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association national poll, the highest national ranking ever for any sport at Caldwell. The NFCA honored Johnson and assistant coach Barbara Hutchinson by naming Caldwell’s coaching staff the 2004 Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
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Johnson recruited numerous talented student-athletes to Caldwell. Many of his players have earned All-CACC and NFCA All-Region honors.Â
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Johnson’s athletes also performed well in the classroom, as many of Caldwell’s student-athletes have earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards. In 1996, the Cougars had the highest grade-point average among all NAIA programs. The 2007 squad ranked 13th among all NCAA Division II softball programs in GPA, with nine Cougars receiving NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors. Additionally, the Cougars received an award from the NCAA for having the highest GPA among the eight teams participating in the 2004 College Softball World Series. Kyrie Timbrook earned a spot on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American second team in 2010, along with Alyssa Calderon making the Academic All-American third team in 2014.
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In addition to his coaching duties, Johnson also serves as the department’s associate athletic director and the head coach for the men’s basketball program. For his contributions to the University and the athletic department, Johnson received the prestigious Caldwell Cup from former president Sister Patrice Werner in May of 2008. He also is a member of the NCAA DII Head Coach Connection Committee. He has previously served on various regional and national committees including serving as a member of the NFCA Head Coaches Committee, the NFCA Top-25 committee, the NCAA Division II East Regional Advisory Committee, chair of the NCAA Division II National Softball Committee and the CACC Championships Committee.
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A native of Belgrade Lakes, Maine, Johnson was a standout point guard at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. He also played major modified fast-pitch softball, and in 1990 his team placed third nationally. Johnson graduated from the University of New England in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education. He earned a Master’s degree from Caldwell University in 1997.
Johnson Year by Year
|
Overall |
|
|
|
CACC |
|
|
| Year |
Wins |
Losses |
Ties |
|
Wins |
Losses |
Postseason |
| 1995 |
15 |
10 |
|
|
7 |
7 |
CACCÂ Tournament Participant |
| 1996 |
10 |
15 |
|
|
4 |
8 |
CACCÂ Tournament Participant |
| 1997 |
18 |
14 |
|
|
9 |
3 |
CACCÂ Tournament Participant; CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 1998 |
19 |
17 |
|
|
5 |
7 |
CACCÂ Tournament Runner-up |
| 1999 |
27 |
13 |
|
|
7 |
5 |
First Year NCAA Provisional Member; CACCÂ Tournament Semifinals |
| 2000 |
29 |
14 |
|
|
16 |
4 |
CACCÂ Tournament Runner-up |
| 2001 |
37 |
9 |
|
|
16 |
4 |
CACCÂ Tournament Semifinals;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2002 |
28 |
15 |
|
|
14 |
5 |
CACCÂ Tournament First Round |
| 2003 |
30 |
19 |
|
|
14 |
6 |
CACCÂ Tournament Runner-up |
| 2004 |
45 |
7 |
|
|
19 |
1 |
NCAA DII First Year; CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII Northeast Regional Champs; NCAA DII Women's College World Series;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2005 |
40 |
11 |
|
|
18 |
2 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII Northeast Regional Participant;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2006 |
36 |
17 |
|
|
19 |
3 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII Northeast Regional Participant |
| 2007 |
34 |
17 |
|
|
17 |
5 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Co-Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Runner-up |
| 2008 |
35 |
22 |
|
|
19 |
5 |
CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII Northeast Regional Participant |
| 2009 |
37 |
18 |
2 |
|
20 |
4 |
CACCÂ Tournament Runner-up;Â NCAA DII East Regional Participant |
| 2010 |
42 |
16 |
|
|
23 |
3 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Co-Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Semifinals;Â NCAA DII East Regional Participant;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year; ECACÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2011 |
32 |
25 |
|
|
17 |
9 |
CACCÂ Tournament Semifinals;Â NCAA DII East Regional Participant |
| 2012 |
39 |
16 |
|
|
21 |
5 |
CACCÂ Tournament Participant;Â NCAA DII East Regional Participant;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2013 |
45 |
12 |
|
|
23 |
3 |
CACCÂ Tournament Champs;Â NCAA DII East Regional Participant;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2014 |
45 |
9 |
|
|
24 |
2 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; NCAA DII East Region 2 Champs; NCAA DII East Super Regional |
| 2015 |
37 |
14 |
1 |
|
23 |
3 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII East Region 1 Finals (#1 seed in the region);Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2016 |
36 |
15 |
|
|
23 |
3 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; NCAA DII East Region Participant (#1 seed and host for East Region 1) |
| 2017 |
45 |
15 |
|
|
25 |
1 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII East Region Participant;Â CACCÂ Coach of the Year; ECACÂ Coach of the Year |
| 2018 |
35 |
18 |
|
|
24 |
2 |
CACCÂ Regular Season Champs; CACCÂ Tournament Champs; NCAA DII East Region Participant |
| 2019 |
32 |
23 |
|
|
20 |
6 |
CACC Tournament Participant |
| 2020 |
2 |
4 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
Season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic |
| 2021 |
20 |
11 |
1 |
|
16 |
10 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2022 |
39 |
17 |
|
|
19 |
5 |
CACC Tournament Semifinals;Â NCAA DII East Region 1 Finals; CACC Coach of the Year |
| 2023 |
35 |
19 |
|
|
19 |
5 |
CACC Tournament Semifinals;Â NCAA DII East Region 1 participant |
| Career Record |
924 |
432 |
4 |
|
481 |
125 |
|
