Northern State University Athletics

Dean Berry enters his first year as a member of the athletic administration team in the fall of 2025 as the Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and 16th overall with the department. Berry spent the previous 15 seasons as the Wolves head baseball coach. 

As the Associate Athletic Director for External Operations, Berry will focus primarily on premium ticket operations, special events, corporate sponsorship agreements, and athletic fundraising initiatives. In addition, he will assist with game and sport administration for the department. 
 
Berry will work closely with the NSU Foundation as a member of the revenue generation team, serving as a crucial member in the planning and implementation of Wolves Club events. He will lead the efforts of the annual NSU Golf Classic and assist the 15 intercollegiate athletic programs with their individual team fundraisers.
 
He has been an active member of the Aberdeen community since his arrival in the fall of 2010, leading youth camps and clinics for the Wolves and Aberdeen Parks and Rec. In addition, Berry has served on the Aberdeen Smitty’s board of directors for over ten years.
 
From 2000-2025, Berry served as the head baseball coach at Si Tanka (Huron University), Dakota State, and Northern State. He opened his career at the high school level in North Dakota, coaching eight total seasons. Berry made assistant coaching stops at Dartmouth College, Concordia-Moorhead, and his alma mater Mayville State.
 
He graduated from Mayville State University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and minor in coaching. While at Mayville State, he lettered in baseball and football all four years. In baseball, he played on four conference championship teams and was a team captain. In 2006, he received his master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at the University of North Dakota.
 
Berry resides in Aberdeen with his wife Julie and their children Abby and Jackson.

COACHING INFORMATION
Dean Berry concluded his 15th season as the head baseball coach at Northern State in 2025. Prior to Northern, he spent three seasons as the head coach of Dakota State University.

In 2025, the Wolves went 15-32 overall and 11-29 in the Northern Sun. Nick Friedges and Brennan Phillips were named to the NSIC All-Conference second team. 

In the spring of 2024, Northern went 18-31 overall and 13-26 in the Northern Sun. Brennan Phillips earned NSIC All-Conference second team honors, while Karson Hesser was named to the All-Defensive team. Five school records were broken by the Wolves including single season saves (Drew Burkholder - 5), single season offensive walks (180), single season stolen bases (62), career innings pitched (Max Otto - 254.0), and career strikeouts (Max Otto - 248). 

The Wolves recorded an 11-31 record overall and 6-25 mark in the NSIC in the spring of 2023. Northern found success at the plate improving in 12 offensive categories from the previous spring. The Wolves racked up the most single season homeruns since 2016, runs per game since 2018, and doubles since 2019. In addition, Reece Ragatz tallied the highest homerun total of ten since the spring of 2017 with Jack Schmidt (10) and Lucas Lorenz (15). 

Northern State posted a 15-26 record overall and 10-18 mark in the Northern Sun in 2022. Northern State second basemen Isaiah Chevalier was named to the NSIC All-Defensive team following the season. Northern went 15-22 overall and 14-19 in the NSIC in the spring of 2021. Two Wolves were named to the NSIC All-Conference teams in Seth Brewer (first team) and Spencer Sarringar (defensive team). The Wolves went 1-12 in the spring of 2020, prior to the cancellation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA cancelled spring championship competition, while the NSIC quickly followed cancelling the conference slate. 

Northern State qualified for the NSIC Tournament in 2019 going 26-25 overall and 20-16 in league play. Senior Luke Chevalier brought home the post season honors for the Wolves earning NSIC All-Conference second team, as well as NCBWA and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors. Transfer John Poldberg broke the single season school record for appearances on the year with 25, while also tying the season save record with four. In addition, Chevalier grabbed career school records for innings pitched (225.1), strikeouts (230), and saves (8). 

Despite a difficult spring due to weather in 2018, with 12 game cancellations, Berry and the Wolves qualified for the NSIC Tournament with a 13-13 league record. Northern went 2-2 from the Tournament after an opening round win over top seeded Minot State. Jack Schmidt and Dakota Stilson were named to the NSIC All-Conference teams, while Schmidt brought home D2CCA, NCBWA, and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors in his final season with the Wolves. 

In 2017 the Wolves again notched four All-Conference honorees, including three first team selections in Luke Chevalier, Lucas Lorenz, and Jack Schmidt. Senior pitcher Nick Hoffard was also named to the NSIC gold glove team. 

In his sixth season at the helm, Berry coached four Wolves to All-Conference performances. Nick Hoffard and Jack Schmidt were named to the NSIC first team, while Matt Stubbs was named to the second team and Colton Boucher earned NSIC Gold Glove. Junior Nick Hoffard was also named the leagues Newcomer of the Year, after holding a 1.33 ERA in league action and tying the NSU single season record for seven wins. The Wolves also tallied their third straight NSIC Tournament appearance and third straight 20-plus win season. 

2015 proved to be another great year for NSU baseball under the direction of Berry. The Wolves made their second straight conference tournament appearance, and grabbed the first conference tournament victories in school history. A total of ten single season individual records were broken on the year. Berry coached Jack Schmidt, to a First-Team NSIC Tournament selection. 

Berry was voted by his peers as the 2014 NSIC Coach of the Year after he led Northern State to 28 wins, which ties the 1974 and '76 teams for the most in program history. The Wolves' 21 conference victories in 2014 are a program record and their sixth-place finish is the highest since winning the league in 1993. Near the end of the 2014 season, NSU clinched its first bid to the NSIC Tournament since 1997. As a team, the Wolves hit .298 on the year and had an ERA of 5.07. 

In 2013, Berry coached All-NSIC Second Team selection Robbie Rocamora. The junior became the first Wolves student-athlete to be an All-Conference performer since Adam Kampsen in 2008.

Before arriving at NSU, Berry was the assistant baseball coach, recruiting coordinator and academic supervisor at Mayville State University from 2002-06 under current head coach Scott Berry.  During summer of 2004, he was the co-head coach for fourth place USA Athletes International team.

In 2000-02, Berry was the head baseball coach at Huron University. He led the team to a national playoffs berth in 2002. 

Berry coached high school baseball teams for a total of eight years in Washburn and West Fargo, N.D.  He led American Legion baseball teams in LaMoure, West Fargo, Devils Lake and Jamestown, N.D.  In 1995, he was named to North Dakota Legion Baseball “Coach of the Year.” In addition, he also coached at the college level at Dartmouth College, N.H. and Concordia, Minn. as an assistant baseball coach.