Seasons with UBC: 5
Record: 21-9-1
- 3 Canada West Championships (2019, 2021, 2022)
- Canada West Bronze (2018)
- Assistant Coach for UBC women’s rugby for 4 seasons
- Director of Rugby for UBC Old Boy Ravens
- Senior manager for Growth and Development for BC Rugby for four-and-a-half years
- Significant time as Head Coach of Canada’s Under 17, 18 & 19 rugby programs.
Dean Murten has overseen a strong progression of the program since taking the reins in 2018 following a four-and-a-half-year stint as the senior manager for Growth and Development for BC Rugby.
2022-23:
Dean Murten helped guide the UBC Thunderbirds to an impressive 4-0-1 record during the 2022 Canada West season. The 'Birds continued their momentum into the playoffs as they secured a semifinal victory against Alberta, followed by a 24-12 championship victory over Victoria, giving Murten his third Canada West championship victory. Entering the nationals as the top seed, UBC lost to Guelph in heart-breaking fashion by a 26-25 score, eliminating them from national championship contention. UBC ended up finishing fifth after posting victories against Acadia and Victoria.
Murten led his program to a strong 9-1 record in the 2021-22 season, capturing a Canada West Championship after defeating the Victoria Vikes 47-13 in Calgary. After suffering an opening loss to the Queens Gaels 26-33, the T-Birds rallied back to defeat Acadia 64-17, and Guelph 57-19.
Murten was born in Holmirth, West Yorkshire, England and after completing 24 years in the British Army where he coached and played rugby, Murten decided to continue his journey in Canada. Murten moved to Lloydminster, Alberta in 2007 and quickly devoted his time to coaching both male and female rugby teams in the area. A move one province east to take a role as the technical director for Saskatchewan rugby pre-dated him landing in British Columbia in 2013 where he signed on as the director of rugby for the UBC Old Boys Ravens rugby club.
While fulfilling the above roles over the years, Murten has continued coaching at high levels that has included among other stops, significant time as head coach of Canada's under 17, 18 and 19 rugby programs.
Coaching the UBC women to Canada West bronze in his first season at the helm of the T-Birds, Murten led the blue and gold to their first conference title in 2019, a feat they repeated in 2021 as part of their undefeated Canada West campaign.
