BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae College Vice President for Athletics and Club Sports Craig McPhail and Head Women's Basketball Coach Lauren Lewis Galvani have announced Raven Dean as the new Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Lees-McRae.
"Raven is one of the best up-and-coming coaches from the state of North Carolina. As a former ETSU women's basketball standout, I know she'll fit right in at Lees-McRae," said Galvani. "Raven is a known mentor and developer of student-athletes who has played a significant role in the success of Independence and Team Curry."
"In adding Raven to our women's basketball, we have brought someone with strong recruiting, coaching, and playing abilities," said McPhail. "Her work with Coach Galvani over the years at Independence High School brings a sense of camaraderie to our team with high-level communication and an understanding of what needs to be done for success to occur."
Dean has been on Lauren Lewis Galvani's staff at Independence High School since August 2021 and served as the school's Health/P.E. Teacher. Before Independence, Dean was a teacher assistant at Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, North Carolina from August 2020 to June 2021.
"I have immense excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to coach and be a part of the Lees-McRae Bobcat family," said Dean. "I look forward to working with these young women on and off the court, building relationships with the players and athletic staff to ultimately create a great culture and set a foundation for this to be a premier program. The future is bright and I'm ready to get to work."
Dean, a 2019 East Tennessee State University graduate, played in 111 games for the Buccaneers and was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team in 2016 and Third Team All-SoCon in 2017. Dean tallied 764 total points in her four-year career and made 290 baskets, 562 rebounds, and six double-doubles.
"I'm confident she'll thrive in a position to recruit players to be a part of something special at Lees-McRae," said Galvani. "She has a great ability to connect with her players and motivate them to be the best they can be. Her energy and work ethic are infectious and I'm excited that she'll be able to bring that to the mountain."
Dean earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a concentration in Exercise Science from East Tennessee State University in 2019.
