The 2025-26 season marks year seven for Head Coach Theo Dean at the helm of the Truman Women’s Basketball.
Dean has been a part of the program in some capacity for over ten years. He was a student manager and graduate assistant from 2010-14; Dean then returned to Kirksville to become the full-time assistant and recruiting coordinator from June 2016-August 2019. Dean was promoted to interim head coach on August 23, 2019.
On January 13, 2020, after a 9-3 start to the season, including a school-record five-game winning streak to start Great Lakes Valley Conference play, the interim tag was removed. Theo Dean became the 11th full-time head coach in program history and the first African-American head coach in school history.
With a fast-paced style of play, Dean’s impact on the program has been very evident since becoming head coach in 2019, and fans of Truman Women’s Basketball have seen continued success for the Bulldogs’ program.
Since his return to Truman in 2016, Dean has coached 26 All-GLVC performers (12 being named to the First Team), three Freshman of the Year selections, seven 1,000 point scorers, two 1,000 rebounders, two WBCA All-Americans, one D2CCA All-American, 14 CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District selections, four D2CCA All-Midwest Region selections, one Academic All-American, one GLVC Player of the Year and one GLVC Women’s Basketball Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Dean has also coached more than 83 Academic All-GLVC players and four WBCA Academic Top 25 teams (2019, 2021, 2023 & 2025).
Overall, Dean has been on the sideline with the Bulldogs for five of the program’s eight 20-win seasons, one Central Division Championship, one Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament title, two Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament championship games, three NCAA Tournaments appearances, and one NCAA Tournament victory.
After graduating from Truman, Dean assisted the Lansing (Kansas) High School Boys Basketball program from 2014-16. Dean was the assistant coach to the father of former First Team All-GLVC performer, GLVC Conference Champion, and former Bulldog Associate Head Coach, Amy Briggs. While at Lansing, Dean focused on guard development for the boys’ team, overall player development for the girls’ team and also supervised the team managers, implementing a hustle and shot chart system into practices and games. In his first year at Lansing, he helped lead the team to the Kansas Substate Championship game, and Dean was then promoted to top assistant in his second season.
A Chicago, IL native, Theo Dean came to Truman in 2008 as a freshman and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications (Graphic Design) degree from Truman State University in 2012 and his Master of Arts degree in Leadership, with a concentration in Coaching and Sports Management, from Truman in 2014.
Dean, his wife, Presley (who also holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Truman), their son, Theo IV, their daughter, Mina, and his mom, Carla, reside in Kirksville.
2024-25 Recap:
The Truman Women’s Basketball team bounced back from the previous season, doubled their win total and returned to the GLVC Tournament, finishing third in the GLVC in scoring, third in three-pointers made and first in free throws made. Overall, the team finished 6th all-time in single-season scoring, 4th all-time in single-season 3-point field goals made and 4th all-time in single-season free throws made in program history.
After knocking off the Lewis Flyers, who were undefeated in the GLVC and ranked #24 in the D2CSC Media Poll, Truman Women’s Basketball proceeded to go 9-5 in the last half of the regular season, defeating three of the top eight teams in the GLVC standings. This run helped to secure a spot in the GLVC Tournament for the tenth time in program history.
The team produced yet another All-GLVC First Team performer in Jordan Cunningham. Jordan led the team in minutes, scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, while also scoring her 1,000th career point and finishing ranked 8th in single-season scoring and first in single-season minutes in program history.
Molly Joyce followed up her Freshman of the Year campaign by being selected as an All-GLVC Second Team performer, leading the conference with three 30-point games and finishing second on the team in minutes, scoring, 3-pointers made, assists and steals.
Continuing to foster a culture that’s “Bigger than Basketball,” the team once again finished with 14 players earning Academic All-GLVC honors, with Gracie Neff, Molly Joyce, Emma Bulman and Jordan Cunningham being named to the Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team, as selected by College Sports Communicators.
2023-24 Recap:
Underlining an emphasis on teamwork and unselfish play, the Truman Women’s Basketball team led GLVC in assists for the second consecutive year with an impressive average of over 15.5 assists per game.
The 2023-24 season was highlighted by several outstanding individual performances. Molly Joyce earned the prestigious title of GLVC Freshman of the Year, becoming the third player in Truman history to receive this honor, while averaging 10.9 points per game. Ellie Weltha solidified her place as one of the program’s all-time greats, becoming only the second player in school history to be named to the All-GLVC First Team three times and also the second player in school history to score 1,000+ points while also pulling down 1,000+ rebounds. Her remarkable season also earned her a spot on the D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team.
Ellie Weltha's career at Truman will be remembered for years to come. She ranks among the top in several categories in Truman Women's Basketball history, including 1st in field goal percentage and games played, 2nd in rebounds, 4th in scoring, field goals made and games started, and 8th in free throws made.
In addition to athletic success, Theo Dean has fostered a strong culture of academic excellence within the program. Under his guidance, 14 players earned Academic All-GLVC honors, while Gracie Neff, Emma Bulman, Claire Rake, and Ellie Weltha were also named to the Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team, as selected by College Sports Communicators.
2022-23 Recap:
Truman Women’s Basketball added another 20-win season, while also finishing with the second-best record in the GLVC at 15-5. The Bulldogs produced one of the highest scoring offenses in the GLVC, averaging 77.9 PPG (2nd in the GLVC). They also led the GLVC in field goal percentage, 3-pointers made, 3-point percentage, assists, rebounds and rebounding margin. The team was able to produce four All-GLVC performers (Hannah Belanger-1st team, Ellie Weltha-1st team, Alex Fanning-3rd team and Gracie Stugart-3rd team) for just the second time in school history, four CoSIDA Academic All-District selections (Hannah Belanger, Emma Bulman, Hannah Pinkston and Claire Rake), one D2CCA All-Midwest Region selection (Hannah Belanger), one D2CCA All-American (Hannah Belanger-honorable mention) and one WBCA All-American (Hannah Belanger).
Hannah Belanger had a historic senior season. She finished her Bulldog career by setting school records for single-season three-pointers made and career three-pointers made. She also tied the single-season Truman State points record and led the Great Lakes Valley Conference in scoring, three-pointers made and three-pointer percentage. She was named GLVC Player of the Year, picking up her third straight unanimous first team all-GLVC honor, and became the first Player of the Year in school history. Hannah was also named an Academic All-American, a D2CCA All-American and a WBCA All-American, becoming the first two-time All-American in school history.
2021-22 Recap:
After a 4-4 finish during non-conference play, Truman Women’s Basketball seemed to hit its stride once the conference schedule started, going 10-1 in their first 11 GLVC games. From December 2, 2021 until January 22, 2022, the Bulldogs set two school records, winning 9 conference games in a row and winning 10 games in a row overall. During that winning streak, Truman Women’s Basketball accomplished two big feats, beating Drury University for the first time in school history and beating the #1 team in the nation for the first time in school history.
The team finished the 2021-22 season as the GLVC Central Division Runner-Up and was also the #4 seed heading into the GLVC Tournament. The Bulldogs were able to produce two All-GLVC performers (Hannah Belanger-1st team and Ellie Weltha-1st team), one CoSIDA Academic All-District selections (Hannah Belanger) and one D2CCA All-Midwest Region selections (Ellie Weltha).
2020-21 Recap:
Despite the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Truman Women’s Basketball seemed to never lose focus during the 2020-21 season. The team followed a disappointing first round exit in the 2019-20 GLVC Tournament with a 2020-21 Central Division Championship (first in school history), a regular season 2nd place GLVC finish (2nd year in a row), a GLVC Tournament Runner Up finish (first championship game appearance since 2013-14), an NCAA tournament appearance, a #3 seed in the Midwest Regional Tournament (highest seed in school history) and an NCAA Tournament win (first since 1999). Their 77.3% (17-5) win percentage is the highest single-season win percentage in school history, and their 82.3% (14-3) conference win percentage is the highest in school history as well.
Dean’s team was able to produce four All-GLVC performers (Hannah Belanger-1st team, Katie Jaseckas-1st team, Katey Klucking-3rd team, Ellie Weltha-3rd team) for the first time in program history. Hannah Belanger also became the first WBCA All-American, becoming the first All-American since 2000 and the first 1st team selection since 1982. Belanger also became the first CoSIDA Academic All-District performer since 2010-2011.
2019-20 Recap:
Dean’s impact on the program was evident very early, and the 2019-20 season saw continued success for the Bulldogs’ program. At the culmination of the 2019-20 season, Truman posted a record of 20-8, being one of two GLVC teams to end the season at 20 wins or more. With those 20 victories, Dean became just the second Bulldogs coach to eclipse at least 20 wins in their first season as head coach and the first head coach in school history to win at least 20 regular season games. The Bulldogs finished with the second-best conference record, at 16-4, after being selected in the pre-season poll to finish sixth. Those 16 conference wins are also the most conference wins in Truman history, and the second-place finish was the highest regular season finish in Truman history as well. The team also set a record for GLVC win percentage at 80% and set a record to start conference play at 6-0, as the previous record was 4-0.
What they’re saying about Coach Theo Dean
“Coach Theo is a bright, hardworking, up and coming star among the coaching ranks. His professionalism and integrity have always stood out to me. I was able to witness, first-hand, the smooth transition he made from assistant to head coach at Truman State University. Through his dedication and hard work, he has been able to maintain and continue the progress and success of the program, while leaving his own positive mark.”
- Molly Miller, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Arizona State University
“Truman State University made a homerun hire when selecting Theo Dean as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach! His knowledge, ability to relate to people, and professional approach to his everyday life, make him a valuable asset to any program. Theo has always led by example by showing the high character and work ethic that he demonstrates on and off the court.”
- Dodie Dunson II, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Lewis University
“Truman State has made such a dynamite hire in Theo Dean. He has proven himself in the GLVC, and, as a former opponent coach, I can certainly attest to that! So often people discuss how important it is for females to support females, but I truly feel that males supporting & guiding females is extremely vital in the growth of women’s basketball. Theo will have his teams ready, and I cannot wait to see what he does at Truman State.”
- Samantha Quigley Smith, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville University
Head Coaching Record
2024-25 Truman State 14-17 (.452)
2023-24 Truman State 7-21 (.250)
2022-23 Truman State 20-10 (.667)
2021-22 Truman State 18-11 (.621)
2020-21 Truman State 17-5 (.772)
2019-20 Truman State 20-8 (.714)
Career 96-72 (.571)
