FRANKLIN, Mass.- January 9, 2025- Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Eric D. Lee is pleased to announce the hiring of Luke Bakanowsky as the new Head Football Coach at Dean College.
Bakanowsky joins the Bulldogs at a pivotal time, as the program prepares for its inaugural season in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) in 2025.
"We are excited to welcome Luke Bakanowsky and his family to the Dean College community," said Eric D. Lee '08, Vice President of Athletics and Recreation. "Coach Bakanowsky's experience, vision, and passion for student-athlete development make him the ideal leader for our football program as we embark on this new chapter in the MASCAC. He brings a wealth of experience and a strong reputation for developing competitive football programs while fostering academic and personal growth for student-athletes both on and off the field."
Bakanowsky comes to Dean from New England College, where he served as the team's offensive coordinator in 2024 during their inaugural season.
"I am so incredibly honored to be named Head Football Coach here at Dean College," Bakanowsky said. " I want to thank Vice President of Athletics and Recreation, Eric D. Lee, and Interim President, Mark D. Boyce for putting their trust in me to lead this program. I also want to thank my wife, Allison. You are the best support system and none of this is possible without you. I'm excited to build a culture here for our football players that is second to none. This upcoming chapter of Dean Football is going to be something special!"
Before NEC, Bakanowsky spent one season as offensive coordinator with the Endicott College football program in 2022-23. The Gulls enjoyed a perfect 10-0 regular season and hosted a home playoff game.
Prior to Endicott, Bakanowsky coached at Merrimack College (NCAA FCS), where he served as wide receivers coach before being promoted to quarterback coach/passing game coordinator. In 2021, the Warriors' passing game led the Northeast Conference in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, passer rating, and overall completions, while also placing top 10 in the nation in touchdown passes and completion percentage, at seventh and third overall, respectively.
Prior to Merrimack, Bakanowsky served as the quarterbacks coach at Nichols College for a little over a year before culminating with a promotion to offensive coordinator/QB/recruiting coordinator for his final two years with the program.
Bakanowsky earned his Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Sport Management from Merrimack in May of 2015, where he was a four-year scholarship QB for the Warriors. He currently resides in Acton, MA with his wife, Allison.
