PERKINSTON — New Mississippi Gulf Coast baseball coach Zach Allen knew exactly who he wanted to bring in as his assistants when was elevated to his new position. Now, Kade Dees has joined the Bulldogs to complete the coaching staff.
“I played for Coach Allen when I was in junior college, and he understands what it takes to be a top program,” Dees said. “I really trust his philosophy. I gained a lot of trust playing for him, and I stayed in contact when I played at the next level. He’s always been my go-to guy, and I think he’s going to do a really good job. I have a lot of trust in him and Coach (Chase) Stewart.”
Dees, who will be the hitting coach and work with the catchers, brings a winning pedigree and MACCC experience as a player and coach.
Dees is fresh off a season on the East Central staff where the Warriors went 55-8 and finishes as one of the last four teams at the NJCAA Division II World Series. Prior to that, he was a graduate assistant at Jones, assisting with hitters and outfielders.
“It’s really important to have guys you know and trust,” Allen said. “I coached Kade, and I know what he’s about, his character. I know he gets out and grinds and recruits really hard, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
Dees played two seasons at Jones as a catcher, although one was cut short by COVID. He was a player under Gulf Coast head coach Zach Allen when he was an assistant there. Dees went on to play at Delta State, where he started 32 times as a junior to help lead the Statesmen to a 32-17 record and Gulf South Conference regular-season title. DSU advanced to the NCAA Division II South Regional that year, and he gave up only eight stolen bases in 36 games.
He graduated from Madison Central High School, where he was a member of the 2016 MHSAA Class 6A state championship team. He was a .370 hitter as a senior.
Dees has a bachelor’s in health, physical education, and recreation from Delta State University. He completed his master’s in sports and coaching performance at the University of Southern Mississippi.
“The facilities here are phenomenal,” he said. “It’s a beautiful campus, a beautiful place. I’ve always wanted to be down here and coach with Coach Allen and learn from him.”
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This post originally posted at https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/landing/index by MGCCC Athletics
