AUBURN, Ala. – So unaware of the milestone he'd just reached was Mickey Dean, the Auburn softball coach had no idea that the silly string his players showered upon him was in honor of his 600th career NCAA victory.
"You're always going, so you don't really think about it," said Dean, who earned No. 600 Sunday in Auburn's 3-1 win at Ole Miss.
Before Dean won 122 games at Auburn, 237 at James Madison and 241 at Radford, he piled up Ws coaching in high school, internationally, professionally and at Lake City Community College in Florida, where his 2001 team won the National Junior College Athletic Association championship.
"My wife and I and two kids living in a dorm room," said Dean, recalling those humble beginnings.
As news of No. 600 spread, former players from each of Dean's coaching stops texted their congratulations, the digital equivalent of the silly string celebration.
"I have a lot of former players who pass through Auburn and it's cool to have lunch or dinner with them," he said. "I've got former players whose kids are now playing college softball.
"It's awesome to see how they grew as a person and where they are today as an adult and as a family. It's cool to see kids that you worked with and see how good of parents they are."
In his fourth season on the Plains, Dean's recruiting efforts include not only prospective student-athletes, but regular students as well.
"I've got friends, family and former players who now want their kids to look at Auburn as a place to further their education, not necessarily softball," said Dean, comparing his hometown of Elkton, Virginia, to the town he now calls home.Mickey Dean begins the quest for No. 601 when Auburn hosts Tennessee this weekend
"It's like you never left home," he said. "You hear that expression used a lot in all of these schools across the country and especially in the SEC, but Auburn's really like that."
When Dean recruits elite prospects to Auburn, he pitches the same qualities that attracted him: fit and fan support.
"All we have to do is get them here on campus," he said. "Once they get here on campus, we're going to be one of their top choices. They're going to have a difficult time saying, 'I'm going somewhere else.' When you get here, it's pretty amazing.
"The fans bleed orange and blue. It hurts them when Auburn loses. It's not just another game. They really feel it. That's unique, especially in a college. If there's a game and the weather's nice, it's going to be packed."
Win No. 600 caught Mickey Dean off guard, but now that it's here, he's pausing to express appreciation for the players and coaches who played a role in all of those victories.
"You think about all the people along the way who have helped," he said. "You have people who say, 'You've done a great job,' and I'm like, 'Man, you have no idea how many people have been a part of this.' That's what's unique."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
600 wins: Auburn softball's Mickey Dean thanks 'all the people along the way'
