Pees walking away on his own terms

By SEAN BLEVINS

Times sports editor

Dean Pees never applied for a football coaching job, nor was he ever fired from one in his 50 years of service to the sport. He has seen it all and is ready to leave the game on his own terms.

Pees announced his retirement on Monday after two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. It is the third time he has retired. This time is different, though. Although he loved the job and had another year on his contract, he had some talks with his wife and decided to be done with it.

“For the first time ever, I just felt a little more tired,” Pees said. “I don’t want to get to the point where I’m really tired and don’t feel capable of doing my job at the high level I need to do it at.”

The 1967 Hardin Northern graduate is a model of consistency. He has been a successful coach at all three levels; high school, college and the pros. The two-time Super Bowl champion has soaked up a lot of knowledge from being a coach under Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, Lou Holtz and John Harbaugh.

“Growing up in Hardin County was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Pees said. “It gave me my work ethic, taught me how to be humble and how to treat people. I learned from my parents in Blanchard Station, Ohio, right outside of Kenton.”

He noted that he has never been in an altercation with a player before because he respects them and they do their best for him. His philosophy is to work them hard, but to show them that he cares about their lives on and off the field.

Pees said his coaching style remained virtually the same at all levels, it was the talent that he got to work with that was different.

When Pees was a college coach from 1979-2003, he said he promised to parents that their kids would get an education first.

“I coached them to get a degree and that’s what they did,” Pees said. “I cared about them and their families. Players are always going to play better for you if you respect them and treat them like men and care about them, not just as a football player.”

He was quite fond of his last head coaching stop at Kent State, where he was from 1998-2003. It was an incredibly tough job and they were 0-11, 2-9 and 1-10 in his first three years. They went 6-5 in 2001 and that winning season is one of his proudest accomplishments.

Pees left the Golden Flashes to become the linebackers coach for the Patriots in 2004. They won the Super Bowl in his first season. He was promoted to be New England’s defensive coordinator in 2006 and stayed until after the 2009 season.

“I was true to myself,” Pees said. “So many coaches go out there and try to be coach Belichick or coach Saban. There’s only one of them and I’m not one of them. I’m me.”

He took the inside linebackers coach job for the Baltimore Ravens in 2010 and shifted into the defensive coordinator role from 2012-2017. He was coaching in the press box when the power went out during Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. The elevators in the stadium didn’t work and they couldn’t communicate down to the field for some time. The 49ers almost engineered a comeback from down 28-6, but the Ravens held on to win 34-31. Pees retired for the first time on Jan. 1, 2018.

He was hired as the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator on Jan. 29, 2018. He lasted two seasons, then retired for the second time in early 2020.

Pees opted to get back in the sport as the defensive play caller for the Falcons in 2021.

At age 73, he has done about all there is to do and will leave a lasting legacy of helping mold players into better people. The game will remember him fondly. He will be reaping the rewards of his 50 years of dedication as he enjoys his retirement.