The Dickinson State Coaching Tree: Dean Jilek’s Blueprint for Hard-Nosed Football

Coaching Tree: Maps the relationships between a head coach and their former assistants or players who later became head coaches themselves. It’s similar to a family tree but applied to coaching..

Dickinson State University Athletics is featuring a series highlighting current coaches around the nation who were mentored and influenced by Hank Biesiot and Pete Stanton. As part of the research for the 100 Years of DSU Football book coming out this summer, students in Dr. Dragseth’s Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program class interviewed more than 30 coaches who are “branches” of the Blue Hawk coaching tree.

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Dean Jilek, a 1995 graduate of Dickinson State University, is one of many branches on the expansive Blue Hawk coaching tree rooted in the leadership of legendary coaches Hank Biesiot and Pete Stanton. After playing five seasons for Coach Biesiot, Jilek has carried the values of toughness, integrity, and discipline into every coaching role he’s taken on since.

His coaching journey has led him across the Dakotas and beyond, with stops at Fargo North, Hazen, Trinity, Mitchell (SD), and Roseville, before taking on his current role at St. Mary’s Academy, where he coaches junior high football. No matter where he coaches, Jilek remains committed to the old-school style he learned at DSU: “hard-nosed, smash-mouth football” and leading with integrity.

One of the most memorable lessons he took from Coach Biesiot is simple yet powerful: “Act like you’ve been there before.” That mindset—confidence without arrogance—has shaped how he approaches the game and influences young athletes. Another lasting impression was Biesiot’s dry wit. Jilek laughs as he recalls one of the coach’s go-to lines: “If we get one win, it’s a winning season.” A phrase that might have started as a joke but speaks to the idea of finding pride in even small victories.

Jilek's favorite memory as a Blue Hawk was when Coach Biesiot designed plays specifically for him coming out of the backfield—evidence of a coach who saw potential and trusted his players to deliver. Though Jilek says he always knew he wanted to coach, his time at DSU helped him refine what kind of coach he wanted to be.

If Coach Biesiot were to watch him today, Jilek hopes he’d recognize not just the style of play, but also the character of his team. “He’d see the physicality and the pride we take in doing things the right way,” he said. And while he hasn’t formally passed on DSU’s traditions to his own teams, the influence of his alma mater is clear in how he coaches—with grit, purpose, and respect for the game.

Interviewed by: Jeremiah Jilek