Jan. 22, 2008

Wake Forest defensive coordinator Dean Hood has been named the head football coach at Eastern Kentucky University.

Hood has been Wake Forest's defensive coordinator for the past seven seasons after head coach Jim Grobe brought him from Ohio University in 2001. Hood has also coached the Demon Deacon secondary during his time in Winston-Salem.

"We're really proud of Dean," said Grobe. "Nobody is more deserving of a head coaching position. He's a great football coach and a wonderful person. We'll really miss Dean and his family."

Under Hood's tutelage, the Deacons led the nation in defensive touchdowns in 2007 with eight. Cornerback Alphonso Smith was the national leader with eight interceptions and the Deacons set a school record by returning six interceptions for touchdowns this past season. In seven seasons under Hood, Wake Forest's defense returned 19 interceptions for touchdowns. In the 44 years before Grobe and Hood arrived in Winston-Salem, the Deacons had returned 17 interceptions for touchdowns.

Wake's defense ranked 15th in the nation against the run in 2007 and 27th in total defense.

Hood takes over an EKU football program that won the Ohio Valley Conference title in 2007 and earned a bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Colonels were 9-3 overall and 8-0 in the OVC this past season under head coach Danny Hope and lost at sixth-ranked Richmond in the first round of the FCS playoffs.. Hope recently accepted a position as associate head coach at Purdue where he is expected to take over for head coach Joe Tiller following the 2008 season. Hope was 35-22 in five seasons at EKU.

Hood joined Grobe's Ohio University staff in 1999 after spending five seasons at EKU including the last two years as defensive coordinator. Under his direction, EKU's defense was ranked nationally in scoring defense in each of his five seasons. The Colonels captured two OVC titles along with a pair of second place finishes.

Hood is a 1986 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan and spent time coaching at Fairmont (WV) State, Colgate and Glenville (WV) State before going to Eastern Kentucky in 1994.

Eastern Kentucky will open its 2008 season at Cincinnati on Aug. 28.