Nebraska Eight Man Football Coaches Association 2023 Hall of Fame Salutes - Dean Filipi

My salute to the Nebraska High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2023 continues leading up to induction day during the halftime break of the Sertoma 8-Man All-Star Game to be contested Saturday, June 18th at Hastings College. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

It is truly my honor to add a few words about the legendary Dean Filipi, one of the most knowledgeable 8-Man football minds to ever coach the game.

COACH DEAN FILIPI – EXETER-MILLIGAN HIGH SCHOOL

Dean played for the Milligan Roosters in the late 1970’s and then returned to coach at his alma mater for nearly 40 years. In a 25-year span, he built one of the state’s top Eight Man Football programs- leading 19 of those teams to the state playoffs. His teams also made three state quarterfinal appearances, one semifinal appearance, had one State Runner-Up finish, and they capped both the 2013 and 2014 seasons as the Class D-1 State Champions.

Dean’s record coaching Eight-Man Football was an impressive 165 wins and 80 losses. He was also a highly successful Six-Man football coach for 14 years of his career, winning the state title in 1997. In 2007, he was honored as an Eight Man All-Star assistant coach and later served as the East Head Coach in 2014. Over the years, Coach Filipi sent 15 of his players to participate in the All-Star game before retiring after the 2021 season.

He is most proud of building life-long relationships with the many coaches and players that he worked with and against in Nebraska Eight-Man Football. The NEMFCA is honored to welcome him into the Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

1000 Yard Guy Sez; Coach Dean Filipi is one of the very, very small number of 8-Man coaches I have never met in my life, but one thing I do know is I have a world of deep respect for any man that dedicated his life to turning boys into young men at the same school he attended in his youth.

Over the years, I never, ever saw a Dean Filipi coached football team that was not ready to play football the way it was intended to be played.

I have seen Dean’s teams play on the road, and I have been truly amazed how well his players knew the art of blocking and tackling, especially tackling.

In 2012 (D1 Runner-up), 2013 (D1 Champions) and 2014 (D2 Champions), seeing Exeter-Milligan three years in a row in those championship games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, I witnessed a clinic on blocking and tackling by these Dean Filipi teams that was unsurpassed in the 8-Man ranks at the time.

Previous to those games, the only occasion I had the pleasure watching a thing to behold such as that had been at the Class A level.

Welcome aboard Coach Dean Filipi, you earned it…….Big Time.