Dean Nicholson

From 1950 to 1964, Dean taught mathematics and served as the head basketball coach at Puyallup High School—winning five Puget Sound titles and compiling a record of 192-113. In the fall of 1964, he returned to Ellensburg after being named to succeed his father as head basketball coach. Only twice in 26 years has he failed to win at least 20 games. Six times he has guided teams into the NAIA Final Four, placing second in 1970, third in 1967, 1969, 1987, and 1989 and fourth in 1985. His over all record at CWU from 1964 to 1990 is 609-219. In addition to coaching basketball, he was the school’s baseball coach in 1967 and tennis coach in 1965 and 1966 and from 1968 until 1978. Dean’s 1970 squad won 31 games, including a school-record 25 straight, and he was voted NAIA Coach-of-the- Year. On seven different occasions, he has been voted NAIA District I Coach-of-the- Year. In 1987, he was voted as one of the five coaches on the NAIA’s 50th anniversary all-time team. A charter member of the CWU Hall-of-Fame, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall-of-Fame in 1986, joining his father in that institution.