Max Dean, a name synonymous with dedication and excellence in collegiate wrestling, has carved out an impressive career marked by significant achievements and unwavering commitment. From his early days at Cornell University to his triumphant transfer to Penn State, Dean's journey is a testament to his hard work and passion for the sport.
Early Success at Cornell University
At the start of his career, Dean graduated high school high off a 41-0 record his senior year. Following his brother, Gabe Dean, was easy, as Max chose his alma mater to start his collegiate career. The standout wrestler then made his way to Ithaca, New York, to begin his college career at Cornell University. Gabe Dean was an NCAA Champion for the Big Red in 2015 and 2016 before graduating a year ahead of his brother coming to New York.
Max Dean then began his campaign in 2017 by attaining a 32-6 record and earning eighth place in the NCAA Tournament while also becoming an All-American that year. His sophomore year in 2018-2019 saw even more success, as Dean notched a 25-6 record and was the runner-up for the NCAA Tournament at 184 pounds. Dean also earned first-team All-Ivy League honors with a unanimous vote.
Dean’s third year of college brought on another endeavor - the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. According to the NCAA rules, wrestlers are allowed to train with their collegiate team but are not allowed to compete in order to preserve that year of eligibility, essentially being a redshirt player. Three other members of Cornell’s roster also opted for this year off in 2020, which then made a turn for the worst. While training for Tokyo was the main focus for Dean, it quickly got shut down with the rest of the world in March 2020.
In the same way that COVID-19 ruined opportunities for people worldwide, Dean was unable to compete for the second year in a row after the Ivy League canceled its 2020-2021 season. He then used his redshirt to preserve his eligibility again for the season. As a result, Dean found himself in a tough position to stay with the Big Red or move on to another institution to continue his athletic career with two years left. Dean then shocked the wrestling community when he landed on the powerhouse that is Penn State over rivals Michigan and Michigan State in May of 2021.
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Transfer to Penn State and NCAA Title
After an extremely successful first season as a Nittany Lion going 23-1, Dean found himself in a position to win the national championship in March 2022. Dean’s most important performance to date in his career then happened in Detroit. He started with an intimidating walk to the mat for the championship bout, accompanied by “Maxwells Silver Hammer” by the Beatles blasting in Little Caesars Arena. The first-time national champion then talked about how he found purpose through his first season as a Nittany Lion.
“I remember thinking before the season even started, ‘If I don’t start… If I don’t ever win a match… I’m just lucky to be here,’” Dean said.
Leading into the now-2023 season, Dean also had a huge accomplishment in his personal life by getting married to his long-time girlfriend Hannah Toai. He is also planning to finish his degree in economics this academic year. The 197-pound powerhouse has already attained a 5-0 start in his second season in Happy Valley and was crowned the champion of the Black Knight Open on November 20 at Army with two pins. Just three duals into the season, Dean is already on track for another monumental year.
Max Dean, the No. 9 seed at 197, closed out a stellar collegiate wrestling career with a seventh-place finish and a 5-2 mark at the 2023 NCAA wrestling championships. He finished the season with a 25-5 record and his career with a 105-18 mark. Dean won the 2022 NCAA title and has helped lead Penn State to two NCAA team crowns. He placed eighth and second before coming to Penn State and earned his first individual national championship in his first season as a Nittany Lion.
An emotional Max Dean after finishing 7th in 2023. Won the national title with PSU in ‘22 after transferring from Cornell. 4x All-American. Hats off to an incredible career.
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He had a pair of early losses this season and also fell in the Big Ten finals to Nebraska’s Silas Allred. “I obviously wanted a little more, but that’s just the way that it goes sometimes,” Dean said. “This sport is unforgiving, but I don’t look back with any regrets.
“I’m really grateful. I got to be on the podium every year. I won an NCAA title. A lot of the people that I got to cross paths with, there’s a lot of amazing people in this sport.
Dean finished in eighth place at NCAAs at 184 pounds in his true freshman year for the 2017-18 season and also came in second place at 184 the following year.
Max Dean's Impact and Legacy
Max Dean, a senior majoring in economics in the College of the Liberal Arts, and Ally Schlegel, who graduated in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship from the Smeal College of Business, have been selected as the 2023 recipients of the Ernest B.
Max Dean: A Year of Waiting, Part 1
He excels in the classroom as well as on the mat. Dean is a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association first-team All-Academic honoree and was Academic All-Big Ten last season for Penn State.
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The teammate that everyone loves and needs. So selfless and willing to do anything for each guy on the squad. Max Dean is the freakin man! Max Dean. What a stellar career my man, even more important is an even more stellar human being you are. On and off the mat. Definitely a man I’d get in a fox hole with. I strive to be half the man you are and that’s still a huge climb.
The Dean surname holds substantial weight on East Hill. Stepping right in and taking Gabe’s place on the Cornell wrestling roster at 184 is his younger brother, freshman No. 11 Max Dean. Max has set himself apart early, sporting 25 wins - including 13 bonus point victories - and just two losses, a more than impressive record for a freshman.
“All of that is just a distraction,” Max said. “I take all of those things and set it aside. It’s a distraction. As a two-time Michigan state champion, it’s not such a surprise that Max is finding early success at the collegiate level. And yet, many speculate whether Max will follow in Gabe’s footsteps and bring glory to Cornell wrestling.
“I’m done,” Gabe said. “They’ve never made me feel like I was [Gabe’s] little brother,” Max said. “I came here and we were going to focus on what I do while wrestling.
He’s had to deal with standing in Gabe’s shadow his entire life, long before joining his brother in Ithaca last year when he started training at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Center. No matter where the parallels have been drawn, within or outside of their athletic endeavors, Max and Gabe have been dealing with it their whole lives. That’s just the way things are with siblings.
The brothers’ father, David Dean, had wrestled for Minnesota in the late 1980’s and was a two-time All American. “When there’s a big gap like that, you don’t feel it,” he added. “But credit to a guy [Max’s] age being able to separate those things and being able to eliminate that type of distraction.
Just like any pair of brothers or best friends would do, Max and Gabe off the mat hang out, eat snacks and play video games. Max has unwavering emotional support that most young grapplers do not have the privilege of receiving when starting their collegiate wrestling careers.
“[I try] to use him for the details, his expertise. But as Gabe and the rest of the program will tell you, it’s Max’s time to shine. The support from Gabe and the rest of the team is paying off tremendously. Max is ranked 11th in the nation at 184 pounds and climbing.
Hanging out, practice, 4-5 hours of class a day, at that point, most of them are taking easier classes. Real life sucks compared to College!
Match Highlights
Here are some highlights from Max Dean's wrestling career:
- Sacred Heart (11/13): Superb Penn State debut with an 18-0 tech fall over Dante Del Bonis (3:00).
- Oregon State (11/13): Dominated J.J. Dixon 16-3 for major decision.
- Army West Point (11/18): Dominated #21 J.T. Brown, posting 17-1 tech (6:49).
- Penn (12/3): Majored Cole Urbas 10-0 in Philadelphia to clinch dual win over the Quakers.
- Lehigh (12/5): Picked up first pin as a Nittany Lion, with a first period fall over J.T. Davis (2:58) in Rec Hall.
- Collegiate Duals (12-20-21): Perfect 3-0 mark at Collegiate Duals, including win over #19 Jacob Cardenas of Cornell and a major over #8 Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State.
- Maryland (1/7): Posted a 20-5 tech fall over Kevin Makosy in Big Ten opener.
- Indiana (1/9): Majored Nick Willham 9-1.
- Rutgers (2/16): Impressive 9-6 win over #7 Greg Bulsak.
- Michigan (1/21): Takedown in sudden victory for a 6-4 win over #8 Patrick Brucki.
- Iowa (1/28): Scored eight unanswered points in the third period to down #4 Jacob Warner of Iowa and clinch Penn State’s dual meet win in Iowa City. Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (2/1).
- Ohio State (2/4): Posted 5-3 (sv) win over #21 Gavin Hoffman in the BJC Dual.
- NCAA Championships (5-0, 1st, Champion): Became an NCAA Champion for the first time with 5-0 run at nationals in Detroit. Teched #32 Will Feldkamp of Clarion, then downed #17 Jay Aiello of Virginia and #8 Lou Deprez of Binghamton to advance to NCAA semifinals. Dominated #21 Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State 9-3 in semis to earn trip to finals.
- Binghamton (11/16): Opened season with 17-0 tech fall over Nunzio Crowley.
- Cliff Keen Invitational (11/30): Went 4-3 with a major, a tech and a pin...Lost close 5-3 (sv) dec. to #10 Louie DePrez of Binghamton.
- Northern Iowa (12/16): Downed #3 Drew Foster 6-5.
- Lehigh (1/12): Posted 8-4 win over #15 Chris Weiler.
- Lock Haven (2/2): Posted 7-5 win over #19 Corey Hazel.
- Virginia Tech (2/15): Dominated #7 Zack Zavatsky of Virginia Tech, rolling to a 9- major.
- North Carolina (2/16): Strong 5-2 win over #11 Chip Ness.
- Binghamton Open (11/12): Won the Bearcat Open with a 5-0 run, including 3-2 win over #14 Louie DePrez of Binghamton.
- Northern Iowa (11/17): Posted 9-7 win over #9 Drew Foster.
- Cliff Keen Invitational (12/1): Went 2-2 at Cliff Keen, lost to #8 Zack Zavatsky of Virginia Tech and #9 Drew Foster of Northern Iowa.
Match Results:
- 11/13 197 W, 16-3 J.J.
- 11/18 197 W, 17-1 #21 J.T.
- 12/5 197 WBF J.T.
- 3/23 184 L, 4-6 #6 Drew Foster, No.
- 11/19 184 WBF Thaddus Jeffries, Brockport St.
- 3/15 184 W, 11-3 #32 Dylan Gabel, No.
