COLUMBUS — The Mississippi University for Women announced the appointment of Dean Burrows as the interim assistant athletics director on Monday. The current men’s basketball head coach will serve in the role for the 2025-26 academic year, working alongside athletic director Buddy Foster.
Burrows has led the Owls men’s basketball program since 2021, taking over for former coach and former assistant athletic director, Brian Merkel. He oversaw the program’s transition to NCAA Division III status and full membership in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“I believe that Dean will be a tremendous asset in continuing the upward trajectory of The W Athletics,” Foster said. “He is very well-known in the community, has a passion for the success of our student-athletes, has a track record of working with campus constituents and brings an enthusiastic and creative approach to the job.”
The position was vacated two weeks ago when Merkel left The W to return to Starkville Academy, becoming the school’s athletic director.
Burrows expressed excitement about taking on a larger role in the department, and enthusiasm about the recent success of the school’s programs.
“As we head into our third year as an NCAA Division III athletic department, it’s been shown what can be accomplished here in a short time, on and off the playing surface,” Burrows said to The Dispatch. “With Coach Williams and men’s golf winning back-to-back SLIAC titles and earning NCAA tournament appearances, to Landon Clark being named an All-American, to the department’s overall successes in the classroom & community. Then you add to this that there have been multiple national championships won here in the past, so again, why can’t that be the case as we move forward? With that said, I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and doing what I can to help do and become what I’ve envisioned, and believe it can be, since I came to campus for the first time in late August of 2021.”
In four seasons, Burrows has compiled a 33-62 record, reaching the postseason as a USCAA member in 2023 and advancing to the SLIAC tournament for the first time in 2025.
The Owls finished with a 12-14 record in 2025, 9-9 in SLIAC play, which was a school record for wins in a season. Dariun Doss was named All-SLIAC Second Team and the SLIAC All-Defensive Team while teammate Eric Bass Jr. was named the conference’s top 6th Man Award winner.
Burrows was previously the head coach at Wesley College for six seasons, leading the Wolverines to three NCAA DIII Tournament appearances. He and his staff were named the AEC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019-20.
In addition to on-court success, Burrows has made community service a focus for his team since arriving in Columbus. The Owls were recognized nationally and locally for their service, accumulating more than 400 community service hours as a team, and were awarded the Team Academic award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Seven players were also cited on the NABC’s Honors Court for their academic achievements.
“Selfishly, I want to make ‘OwlTown’ a college town,” he added. “I love representing this town and don’t take it lightly or for granted. I have always enjoyed helping others that I get to work with and for while being able to see their vision become reality and help accomplish what hasn’t been to that point. … Bringing people together and helping others while representing my last name and family, this university and department, our coaches and student-athletes in a manner and fashion in which all deserve.”
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