Dean Cokinos
{{short description|American football coach (born 1968)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Dean Cokinos
| image = Dean Cokinos.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Cokinos with the Washington Valor in 2017
| current_team =
| number =
| position =
| birth_date = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
| birth_place = {{Circa|{{Birth year and age|1968}}}}
| height_ft =
| height_in =
| weight_lbs =
| high_school = Archbishop Williams
(Braintree, Massachusetts)
| college = UMass Boston
| undraftedyear = 1990
| pastcoaching =
- UMass Boston (1990)
Assistant coach - Austin Peay (1991)
Assistant coach - West Alabama (1992)
Assistant coach - Noris Rams (1994–1997)
Head coach - Munich Cowboys (1999–2001)
Head coach - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers ({{Af2 Year|2003}})
Head coach - San Angelo Stampede (2004)
Head coach - Nashville Kats ({{Af2 Year|2005}})
Assistant coach - Nashville Kats ({{Af2 Year|2006}}–{{Af2 Year|2007}})
Offensive coordinator - Tennessee Valley / Alabama Vipers ({{Af2 Year|2008}}–{{AFL Year|2010}})
Head coach - Georgia Force ({{AFL Year|2011}}–{{AFL Year|2012}})
Head coach - Alabama Hammers (2013–2014)
Head coach - New Orleans VooDoo ({{AFL Year|2015}})
Head coach - Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|2016}})
Assistant head coach & defensive coordinator - Washington Valor ({{AFL Year|2017}}–{{AFL Year|2018}})
Head coach - Berlin Rebels (2019)
Defensive coordinator - Brentwood Academy (TN) (2020)
Special teams coordinator - Ensworth (TN) (2021–2022)
Linebackers coach - Knoxville Catholic HS (TN) (2023)*
Head coach - Nashville Kats (2024)
Head coach - Berlin Thunder (2025)
Head coach
| pastadmin =
- Tennessee Titans ({{NFL year|2003}}–{{NFL Year|2007}})
Pro scout
| highlights =
- ArenaCup champion (IX) (2008)
- PIFL champion (2013)
- PIFL Coach of the Year (2013)
- GFL South Conference Champions (1996–1997, 2000–2001)
}}
Dean Cokinos (born {{Circa|1968}}) is an American football coach. He has held assistant coaching or head coaching positions with UMass Boston, Austin Peay, West Alabama, Noris Rams, Munich Cowboys, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, San Angelo Stampede, Nashville Kats, Tennessee Valley Vipers, Alabama Vipers, Georgia Force, Alabama Hammers, New Orleans VooDoo, Tampa Bay Storm, Washington Valor, Berlin Rebels, Nashville Kats (2024), and Berlin Thunder.
College career
Cokinos attended University of Massachusetts Boston, where he was a running back for the Beacons.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19881024&id=VaxJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kw4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3018,2871046 | title=UMass-Boston tops MMA 19-0 | work=Bangor Daily News | date=October 24, 1988 | accessdate=November 4, 2014 | author=Larry Mahoney}} He was a college teammate of Pat Sperduto, whom he later served under in Nashville.
Coaching career
Cokinos spent seven years as a head coach for two teams in the German Football League.{{cite web | url=http://www.nola.com/voodoo/index.ssf/2014/09/new_orleans_voodoo_hire_dean_c.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908012052/http://www.nola.com/voodoo/index.ssf/2014/09/new_orleans_voodoo_hire_dean_c.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 8, 2017 | title=New Orleans VooDoo hire Dean Cokinos as its new head coach | publisher=nola.com | date=September 17, 2014 | accessdate=November 4, 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=13155 | title=Dean Cokinos Becomes First Head Coach of Washington's AFL Team | publisher=arenafan.com | date=May 5, 2016 | accessdate=May 5, 2016}} Cokinos was an assistant coach for the Nashville Kats from 2005 to 2007. While with the Kats, he was also tasked with evaluating professional arena/indoor football players for the Tennessee Titans, who then owned the Kats. Cokinos was later head coach of the Alabama Vipers, Georgia Force and New Orleans VooDoo, helping the Force reach the playoffs in 2011 and 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/spec-rel/050516aab.html |title=Dean Cokinos Becomes First Head Coach of Washington's AFL Team |publisher=arenafootball.com |date=May 5, 2016 |accessdate=May 5, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506003608/http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/spec-rel/050516aab.html |archivedate=May 6, 2016 }} He coached the Tennessee Valley Vipers to a 56 to 55 overtime victory against the Spokane Shock in ArenaCup IX.{{cite web | url=http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/aflvdo/mtt/dean_cokinos_925130.html | title=Dean Cokinos | publisher=arenafootball.com | accessdate=November 4, 2014 | url-status=usurped | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402221305/http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/aflvdo/mtt/dean_cokinos_925130.html | archivedate=April 2, 2016 }} Cokinos served as head coach of the Alabama Hammers of the Professional Indoor Football League from 2013 to 2014, winning the PIFL Championship in 2013 and being named Coach of the Year.{{cite web | url=http://www.alabamahammers.com/more-news/206-dean-cokinos-out-as-hammers-coach.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906184657/http://www.alabamahammers.com/more-news/206-dean-cokinos-out-as-hammers-coach.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 6, 2015 | title=DEAN COKINOS OUT AS HAMMERS COACH | publisher=alabamahammers.com | accessdate=September 7, 2017}} He was named assistant head coach and defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Storm on October 26, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabaystorm.com/news/detail/storm-continues-to-build-coaching-staff |title=STORM CONTINUES TO BUILD COACHING STAFF |publisher=tampabaystorm.com |date=October 26, 2015 |accessdate=February 1, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201223715/http://www.tampabaystorm.com/news/detail/storm-continues-to-build-coaching-staff |archivedate=February 1, 2016 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/aflstm/mtt/dean_cokinos_925130.html |title=Dean Cokinos |publisher=arenafootball.com |accessdate=April 2, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402221306/http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/aflstm/mtt/dean_cokinos_925130.html |archivedate=April 2, 2016 }} On May 5, 2016, Cokinos was named the inaugural head coach for the Washington Arena Football League Team, which was later named the Washington Valor.{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/05/05/d-c-s-still-unnamed-arena-football-league-team-tabs-dean-cokinos-as-head-coach/ |title=D.C.'s still-unnamed Arena Football League team tabs Dean Cokinos as head coach |work=washingtonpost.com |date=May 5, 2016 |accessdate=May 5, 2016 |author=Russel, Jake |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822095148/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/05/05/d-c-s-still-unnamed-arena-football-league-team-tabs-dean-cokinos-as-head-coach/ |archivedate=August 22, 2016 }} He held this position until May 16, 2018, when he was relieved of his position as coach of the then-winless Valor.
In 2019, he served as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Rebels in Germany.{{Cite web|url=https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/news.pl?artikel=156966760150101020|title=Kuci nimmt Auszeit|website=football-aktuell|access-date=2020-02-27}}
In December 2022, Cokinos was hired as the head football coach for Knoxville Catholic High School but he resigned in July 2023 before coaching a game.{{Cite web |last=Catholic |first=East Tennessee |date=2023-01-31 |title=New KCHS football head coach ready for the challenge |url=https://etcatholic.org/2023/01/new-kchs-football-head-coach-ready-for-the-challenge/ |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=East Tennessee Catholic |language=en-US}}{{cite web | url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/07/10/dean-cokinos-resigns-as-knoxville-catholics-football-coach-a-month-before-season/70397112007/ | title=How Knoxville Catholic football will move forward after first-year coach Dean Cokinos' resignation | publisher=Knoxville News Sentinel | date=July 10, 2023 | accessdate=October 21, 2023 | author=Brown, Toyloy, III}}
Cokinos was the head coach of the Nashville Kats of the new Arena Football League in 2024.
On December 5, 2024, he was announced as the head coach of the Berlin Thunder of the European League of Football.{{cite web | url=https://europeanleague.football/news/berlin-thunder-hire-dean-cokinos-as-head-coach-2652 | title=Berlin Thunder hire Dean Cokinos as head coach | publisher=europeanleague.football | date=December 5, 2025 | accessdate=3 April 2025}} However, he later resigned in January 2025 for personal reasons.{{cite web | url=https://europeanleague.football/news/jag-bal-returns-to-berlin-thunder-as-new-head-coach-2862 | title=Jag Bal returns to Berlin Thunder as new head coach | publisher=europeanleague.football | date=January 20, 2025 | accessdate=3 April 2025}}
=Head coaching record=
==AFL==
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | |||||||
| rowspan=2|Team | rowspan=2|Year | colspan=4|Regular season | colspan=4|Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
| ! ALA || {{AFL Year|2010}}
|| 7 || 9 || {{winpct|7|9}} || 4th in AC South || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| style="background:#fdd;"
! GEO || {{AFL Year|2011}} || 11 || 7 || {{winpct|11|7}} || 2nd in AC South || 1 || 1 || .500 || {{small|Lost to Jacksonville Sharks in AC Championship}} | |||||||
| style="background:#fdd;"
! GEO || {{AFL Year|2012}} || 9 || 9 || {{winpct|9|9}} || 2nd in AC South || 0 || 1 || .000 || {{small|Lost to Jacksonville Sharks in Conference Semifinals}} | |||||||
| colspan="2"|GEO total || 20 || 16 || {{Winning percentage|20|16}} || || 1 || 2 || .333 || | |||||||
| ! NO || {{AFL Year|2015}}
|| 3 || 14 || {{winpct|3|14|0}} || 3rd in AC East || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| ! WAS || {{AFL Year|2017}}
|| 3 || 11 || {{winpct|3|11|0}} || 5th in AFL || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| ! WAS || {{AFL Year|2018}}
|| 0 || 4 || {{winpct|0|4|0}} || (Fired) || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| colspan="2"|WAS total || 3|| 15 || {{Winning percentage|3|15}} || || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| colspan=2|Total{{cite web|url=http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=coaches&coach=88 |title=Dean Cokinos Coaching Record |publisher=ArenaFan.com |accessdate=July 4, 2017}} || 33 || 54 || {{winpct|33|54}} || || 1 || 2 || {{winpct|1|2}} || |
==af2, IFL, PIFL, and AFL (2024)==
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | |||||||
| rowspan=2|Team | rowspan=2|Year | colspan=4|Regular season | colspan=4|Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
| ! WBS || 2003
|| 6 || 10 || {{winpct|6|10}} || 3rd in af2 AC NE || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| style="background:#fdd;"
! SA || 2004 || 9 || 7 || {{winpct|9|7}} || 4th in IFL || 0 || 1 || .000 || {{small|Lost to Amarillo Dusters in Semifinals}} | |||||||
| style="background:#FDE910;"
! TV || 2008 || 10 || 6 || {{winpct|10|6}} || 3rd in af2 AC South || 4 || 0 || 1.000 || {{small|Won ArenaCup IX}} | |||||||
| style="background:#fdd;"
! TV || 2009 || 11 || 5 || {{winpct|11|5}} || 1st in af2 AC South || 0 || 1 || 1.000 || {{small|Lost to Green Bay Blizzard in AC Round 1}} | |||||||
| colspan="2"|TV total || 21 || 11 || {{Winning percentage|21|11}} || || 4 || 1 || .800 || | |||||||
| style="background:#FDE910;"
|| 9 || 2 || {{winpct|9|2}} || 1st in PIFL || 2 || 0 || 1.000 || {{small|Won PIFL Championship}} | |||||||
| ! ALA || 2014
||4 || 8 || {{winpct|4|8}} || 4th in PIFL AC || 0 || 0 || .000 || | |||||||
| colspan="2"|ALA total || 13 || 10 || {{Winning percentage|20|16}} || || 2 || 0 || 1.000 || | |||||||
| ! NAS || 2024
||3 || 4 || {{winpct|3|4}} || 6th in AFL || 1 || 1 || .500 || | |||||||
| colspan=2|Total || 52 || 42 || {{winpct|49|38}} || || 7 || 3 || {{winpct|7|3}} || |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=coaches&coach=88 ArenaFan stats]
- [http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?coach_id=cokindea001 Stats Crew profile]
{{Alabama Vipers}}
{{Georgia Force}}
{{New Orleans VooDoo}}
{{Washington Valor}}
{{Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cokinos, Dean}}
Category:Austin Peay Governors football coaches
Category:West Alabama Tigers football coaches
Category:Nashville Kats coaches
Category:Alabama Vipers coaches
Category:Georgia Force coaches
Category:New Orleans VooDoo coaches
Category:Tampa Bay Storm coaches
Category:Washington Valor coaches
Category:UMass–Boston Beacons football players
Category:American football running backs
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers coaches
Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Category:High school football coaches in Tennessee
Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:UMass–Boston Beacons football coaches
Category:Coaches of American football from Massachusetts
Category:Players of American football from Boston
Category:German Football League coaches