photo by North Carolina Central
North Carolina Central University Director of Athletics Bill Hayes on Wednesday 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.
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.
“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.
He had been slated to coach the Chattanooga Majik of the new World Basketball Association, but the franchise folded.