Coaches Info

About Coach Clyde Dean

Coach Clyde Dean is passionate about helping athletes grow as runners, teammates, leaders, and people. His coaching philosophy combines the aerobic development principles of Arthur Lydiard with the modern performance and mental resilience concepts emphasized by Steve Magness. He believes long-term success comes from building strong aerobic fitness, developing consistency, embracing challenges, and learning how to compete with confidence and toughness.

Coach Dean emphasizes patient development and understands that improvement is a process built through consistent training over time. His training philosophy focuses on creating complete athletes through aerobic strength, purposeful workouts, speed development, mobility, injury prevention, and mental growth. He believes the best athletes are not simply the most talented, but the ones willing to stay disciplined, persistent, and committed to daily improvement.

He also believes cross country and track are about much more than running fast times. The sport teaches athletes how to handle adversity, stay accountable, work as a team, and become comfortable doing difficult things. His goal is to help athletes develop confidence, resilience, leadership, and habits that will benefit them far beyond sports.

Coach Dean has coached cross country and track & field at both the high school and college levels. During his time at Midway University, he coached sprints, jumps, and assisted with cross country while helping develop conference champions, NAIA national qualifiers, and All-Conference athletes. Before that, he coached at Lexington Catholic High School, where the program produced multiple state champions, state records, regional titles, and successful cross country and track teams. 

Coach Dean earned his law degree from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law and also holds degrees in Sport Management and Kinesiology from the University of Kentucky. 

Coach Dean’s goal is to build a competitive, positive culture at Meade County where athletes support one another, pursue excellence daily, and learn that growth comes from consistently choosing the harder right over the easier wrong.

About Coach Heather Cain

Assistant Cross Country Coach Heather Cain is an English teacher at MCHS. She is a devoted wife and busy mom who understands the importance of balancing family, work, and wellness. As a proud Meade County resident and certified indoor cycling instructor with previous certifications in personal training and group fitness, she is passionate about encouraging healthy lifestyles, building confidence through fitness, and supporting students both in the classroom and on the course.