Mike Dee

Mike Dee (born May 20, 1958) is an American former baseball coach and outfielder. He played college baseball at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He served as the head baseball coach at the UIC Flames (1999–2021). Under him, UIC reached six NCAA tournaments. Before coming to UIC, he was an assistant at Minnesota.

Playing career Dee was raised near Chicago before moving to Wisconsin for his senior year of high school. He played high school baseball at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois for three years and at Aquinas High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin for one. He attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he played three seasons of baseball for the Indians. In 1979, Dee's senior season, the team reached the NAIA World Series.

Minnesota Dee's first college coaching job came at Minnesota, where he was an assistant under John Anderson from 1988 to 1998. During his tenure, the Golden Gophers reached six NCAA tournaments and never won fewer than 30 games. Dee was named the WBCA Man of the Year in 1996.

UIC Ahead of the 1999 season, Dee replaced Dean Refakes as the head coach at UIC. UIC extended Dee's contract after the 2008 season.

In November 2006, Dee was seriously injured in a practice accident. A player doing a bat release drill accidentally let go of a bat that flew and hit Dee in the face. His orbital, cheekbone, and nose were shattered. Doctors restored his face with major reconstructive surgery and metal implants, and he kept sight in both eyes. He was able to coach the start of the following 2007 season, though he needed a mask and dugout heaters to protect the healing bones from the cold.

Dee has won the Horizon League Coach of the Year award eight times: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. During his tenure, UIC has had two league Players of the Year, three Pitchers of the Year, and seven Newcomers of the Year.

On June 15, 2021, UIC announced Mike Dee's retirement.

Return to Aquinas On September 8, 2022, Dee, serving as athletic director of Aquinas High School, announced he would also serve as the head coach of the baseball team. On June 17, 2026, Aquinas High School confirmed that Dee was stepping down at head coach. In his four years at Aquinas, Dee led the Blugolds to three Mississippi Valley Conference championships, three WIAA state tournament births, and a state championship in 2024.

Head coaching record Below is a table of Dee's yearly records as a collegiate head baseball coach.