Knoxville Catholic High School has hired Dean Cokinos as the new head football coach for the Fighting Irish.
Coach Cokinos brings a wealth of football experience from head coach of arena football teams in Washington D.C., New Orleans and Atlanta, to international football operations/head coach in Germany, to the collegiate level at UMass, Austin Peay and West Alabama.
Most recently he coached special teams and linebackers at both Brentwood Academy and Ensworth in Nashville. His head coaching regular season record is 165-86-1 with an 11-6 post-season record. His teams qualified for the playoffs 13 times, appeared in the semi-finals 7 times, were 5-time conference champions, and twice league champions.
“Knoxville Catholic is a special place and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Fighting Irish football program,” said Cokinos. “There is a solid foundation in place at Catholic and I’m excited to grow a winning culture and build the Fighting Irish into a top performer in Division II-AAA.”
“We’re excited to welcome Coach Cokinos to Catholic High. He has a solid understanding of the balance between winning and educating young men and developing lifetime skills. He is highly experienced in football operations, and player development, and he builds programs that personify class and excellence,” said Dickie Sompayrac, president of Knoxville Catholic High School.
Coach Cokinos met with his players Thursday, Dec. 22, at Faris Fieldhouse.
Pam Rhoades is director of marketing and communications at Knoxville Catholic High School