DURHAM, NC North Carolina Central University Director of
Athletics Bill Hayes has announced Henry Dickerson, former head coach at the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with 23 years of collegiate
coaching experience, as NCCU’s new Head Men’s Basketball Coach.
Henry Dickerson
Dickerson spent five seasons as head coach at UTC, guiding the
Mocs to two Southern Conference South Division titles and an overall
record of 72-73 from 1997-2002. During that time, 14 of his
student-athletes received their degrees and UTC led the Southern
Conference in attendance each year.
He also served as Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach at UTC
from 1989-97, and held assistant men’s basketball coaching positions at
Marshall University from 1983-89 and the University of Charleston (WV)
from 1979-1983.
“We are excited to welcome Henry Dickerson as a part of our Eagle
family,” said Hayes. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to
our men’s basketball program.”
Dickerson’s four-year contract, which includes an annual salary of
$80,000, will begin May 3, 2004.
“I am impressed with his credentials,” said NCCU Chancellor James
H. Ammons. “He has a solid background as both a coach and administrator,
which demonstrates that he has an understanding of the importance of
balancing athletics and academics.”
A native of Beckley, West Virginia, Dickerson, 52, was a
four-sport letterman at his hometown Woodrow Wilson High School,
participating in basketball, football, baseball and track. As a senior
at Woodrow Wilson, he averaged 30 points and 13 rebounds per game to
lead the Flying Eagles into the sectional finals and earn All-State
honors. He is still considered one of the greatest athletes to ever come
out of the state of West Virginia.
After graduating with honors from Woodrow Wilson in 1969,
Dickerson accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Morris Harvey
College in Charleston, WV, now known as the University of Charleston. He
quickly established himself as one of the top student-athletes in the
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, guiding Morris Harvey
to the NAIA National Tournament as a freshman.
An NAIA All-American, Dickerson averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds
during his four-year collegiate career from 1969-73, and is still the
only person in the history of the conference to be named First Team
All-Conference and Conference All-Tournament for four consecutive
seasons. He was also voted to the All-Academic West Virginia team before
receiving his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Morris Harvey
in 1973.
He went on to play professional basketball in Tel Aviv, Israel,
before signing as a free agent for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. He played
during the 1975-76 season with the Pistons, joined the Atlanta Hawks in
the 1976-77 campaign, and then, hampered by nagging injuries, played in
a semi-pro league with the Allentown (PA) Jets before retiring from pro
basketball.
Dickerson’s coaching career began in 1978 at Maury High School in
Norfolk, Virginia. As assistant boys’ basketball coach, he helped guide
the varsity team to the semifinals of the state tournament.
He accepted his first collegiate position in 1979 as an assistant
men’s basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Charleston.
After four seasons with Charleston, Dickerson entered the Southern
Conference as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Marshall University
in Huntington, WV. In six seasons at Marshall (1983-89), the team won
four conference regular season titles and three conference tournament
championships, while making three trips to the NCAA tournament and one
NIT appearance.
As Associate Head Coach at UTC from 1989-97, Dickerson was a part
of six Southern Conference regular season titles, four conference
tournament championships and four NCAA tournament appearances, including
a visit to the “Sweet 16” in 1997.
He has served as Assistant Dean of Student Development at UTC the
past two years.
Dickerson is married to the former Deborah Jones of Norfolk, VA,
and they are the parents of two sons, Brian and Brandon.
