STARKVILLE — Former Mississippi State basketball player and SEC basketball broadcaster Joe Dean Jr. has died, MSU confirmed on Aug. 17. He was 71 years old. Dean played for the Bulldogs from 1974-76 under coach Kermit Davis Sr. and was a three-time letter winner. He followed his playing career as a coach, starting as a Mississippi State graduate assistant in 1976-77. Dean was an assistant coach at Kentucky from 1977-83 and won the 1978 national championship with the Wildcats. Dean was hired as the Birmingham-Southern coach in 1983, then coached UCF from 1989-93 before serving as Birmingham-Southern's athletic director from 1999-2016.
He began broadcasting SEC games for nearly 20 years after coaching UCF, often with current Fox Sports broadcaster Tim Brando. "Joe Jr. was a walking talking memorial to his legendary father, and he loved that," Brando wrote in a post on social media. "Now, he’s done suffering and is with his best friend 'Mr. String Music' for eternity. We shared some awesome moments together covering SEC basketball." MORE: How every Mississippi State baseball player did in 2026 summer leagues Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Joe Dean Jr., former Mississippi State basketball player, SEC broadcaster, dies at 71