Dean Di Laurentis: From Playboy to Partner in The Score

Overview

Dean Di Laurentis is the male lead of The Score, the third book in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series. A star defenseman for the Briar University hockey team, he is introduced as the ultimate womanizer—wealthy, handsome, and unapologetically promiscuous. Yet beneath the bravado lies an intelligent, loyal, and unexpectedly vulnerable young man. His arc in the novel traces a journey from casual hookups to genuine emotional commitment, forced by grief and self-destruction to confront his own worth.

Plot Role

Dean serves as the catalyst for Allie Hayes’s emotional recovery after her breakup with Sean. Their one-night stand initially seems like a rebound, but Dean’s relentless pursuit—refusing her offer of friendship—escalates their connection. Over the course of the novel, Dean’s actions drive the central conflict between casual expectations and deepening feelings. His backstory with Coach O’Shea’s daughter Miranda, his privilege-fueled academic scandal, and his eventual grief over friend Beau Maxwell’s death all intertwine with Allie’s story, forcing both characters to grow.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Dean’s motivations are layered and often contradictory. On the surface, he is driven by physical desire and a need to win—he hates being denied and treats Allie as a prize to be conquered. However, his actions reveal deeper needs: a craving for genuine connection, a fear of being seen only as a rich playboy, and a desire to prove he is more than his reputation.

Intelligence disguised by crudeness: Dean owns many books and reads them; he becomes engrossed in a French soap opera with Allie. He tells her he hides his intelligence behind crude language, a self-aware admission.

Loyalty and care: He helps freshman Hunter Davenport with hockey skills, coaches a peewee team with patience, and bonds with a young girl named Dakota who cannot afford lessons. He steps up when Allie’s ex Sean harasses her, declaring they are together.

Insecurity and resentment of privilege: He refuses to accept an unearned A from a TA he slept with, arguing with the professor to give him the F he deserved. He is angry that his father’s connections bought him a B-plus. He feels guilty about his wealth, especially after Allie’s father Joe criticizes him.

Vulnerability and fear of loneliness: He admits to friends that he is scared of drifting away after college. His obsession with Allie stems partly from a desire for something real. When Beau dies, Dean spirals into self-destructive behavior—drinking, smoking, taking MDMA—because he lacks healthy coping mechanisms.

Chronological Arc

Dean’s arc can be broken into four phases:

1. The Pursuer (Chapters 1–7): After a one-night stand, Dean refuses Allie’s request for friendship. He relentlessly texts and propositions her, driven by novelty and attraction. He also faces Coach O’Shea’s hostility over his past relationship with Miranda.

2. The Reluctant Romantic (Chapters 8–18): Dean’s feelings deepen. He watches Allie’s terrible show, shares personal stories, meets her father, and grows protective. They agree to be exclusive. His jealousy appears when Allie meets Sean, and he reveals his painful history with Miranda’s suicide threat.

3. The Fall (Chapters 19–32): Beau’s death triggers a downward spiral. Dean numbs himself with drugs and alcohol, misses Allie’s opening night, and gets kicked off the hockey team after a positive drug test. This is his lowest point.

4. Redemption and New Direction (Chapters 33–35): Dean apologizes systematically to everyone he hurt—Hannah, teammates, coaches, Dakota, Beau’s sister Joanna, even Miranda. He bonds with Allie’s father, decides to become a gym teacher and coach instead of a lawyer, and wins Allie back. The novel ends with them together, heading to New York for their respective careers.

Relationships

Key relationships that shape Dean’s character:

Allie Hayes: The emotional core. Allie sees through Dean’s bravado. She challenges his casual approach, demands communication, and ultimately forces him to confront his grief. Their relationship evolves from physical to emotional, culminating in mutual declarations of love.

Miranda O’Shea: The high school girlfriend whose suicide threat after a drunken encounter left Dean with deep guilt. Her father’s vendetta against Dean is a constant reminder of his past mistakes. Dean apologizes to Miranda in the apology tour, gaining closure.

Beau Maxwell: A close friend and quarterback. His sudden death devastates Dean, exposing his inability to process loss (his mother died when he was young). Beau’s death catalyzes Dean’s self-destruction and later his commitment to change.

Coach O’Shea: A father figure turned adversary. O’Shea’s grudge (over Miranda) forces Dean to face consequences and ultimately earns Dean’s respect when he confesses and apologizes.

Joe Hayes: Allie’s father, who initially dismisses Dean as a rich kid who can’t handle hardship. Dean earns Joe’s trust by staying with him after a fall and learning about Allie’s mother’s custom perfume.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Decision: To pursue Allie despite her initial refusal. Consequence: He develops genuine feelings that force him out of his womanizing comfort zone.

Decision: To hide his intelligence behind crudeness and a “Life of Dean” philosophy. Consequence: People underestimate him, but Allie sees through it, leading to deeper connection.

Decision: To use drugs and alcohol after Beau’s death instead of seeking support. Consequence: He misses Allie’s play, gets kicked off the team, and nearly loses her.

Decision: To apologize to everyone he wronged and change his career path. Consequence: He gains forgiveness, rebuilds trust, and finds a meaningful future as a teacher and coach.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Casual Sex vs. Commitment: Dean embodies the conflict. His initial insistence on casual sex transforms into a desire for exclusivity. The novel uses his arc to argue that intimacy can lead to love.

Grief and Loss: Beau’s death parallels Dean’s unresolved grief for his mother. Dean’s spiral illustrates the danger of avoiding grief, while Allie’s intervention shows the necessity of confronting it.

Class and Privilege: Dean’s wealth is a double-edged sword. It grants him opportunities but also breeds resentment and guilt. His decision to become a teacher (a less prestigious career) signals his rejection of privilege as the only path.

Personal Growth and Redemption: Dean’s entire arc is a redemption story. He must acknowledge his mistakes and actively make amends. The apology tour is a literal journey of atonement.

Communication and Jealousy: Dean learns that jealousy does not equal love, and that honest communication is vital. His silent treatment after Allie meets Sean is a low point; later, they learn to talk through conflicts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Dean pursue Allie so relentlessly after their one-night stand?

Dean is not used to being rejected. Allie’s desire for friendship rather than a repeat encounter intrigues him. He sees her as a challenge, but he quickly finds himself caring for her beyond physical attraction. He tells Beau he feels a connection that he cannot explain.

What is the story behind Dean and Miranda O’Shea?

In high school, Dean dated Miranda. After a drunken sexual encounter, she became depressed and threatened suicide. Dean blamed himself. Her father, Coach O’Shea, has held a grudge ever since, which affects Dean’s hockey career at Briar. Dean apologizes to Miranda in the final act, and she forgives him.

How does Dean handle the death of his friend Beau?

Poorly. He drinks heavily, smokes marijuana, and takes MDMA. He misses Allie’s play and pushes away his loved ones. His behavior leads to a positive drug test and expulsion from the hockey team. Only after Allie leaves him does he begin to confront his grief through apologies and reflection.

Does Dean truly change by the end of the book?

Yes. He abandons his womanizing ways, commits to Allie, and chooses a career as a gym teacher and coach instead of following his father into law. He makes amends to everyone he hurt and learns to process grief healthily. The ending shows a mature, accountable Dean.

What career does Dean choose, and why?

Dean decides to become a gym teacher and hockey coach. He discovers a passion for teaching while coaching the peewee Hurricanes and realizes he has a gift for it. He rejects the law school path his family expected, gaining their support, and accepts a job at Parklane Academy in Manhattan.

For a full analysis of the novel’s ending, see our ending explained page. Explore other themes in The Score.