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Henry Dickerson ('69)

A new era for Eagles

This article appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun on April 29, 2004.

By MIKE POTTER

Henry Dickerson said he already knows what the expectations are for his tenure as head men's basketball coach at N.C. Central.

"My goals have already been laid out for me," Dickerson said. "I should win the CIAA championship."

If he accomplishes that, the 52-year-old coach will be doing something that hasn't happened in his lifetime, since the Eagles last did that in 1950.

The former head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was introduced Wednesday as the Eagles' new coach, replacing Phil Spence who was fired after going 49-64 over four seasons.

"I don't know how many games we'll win, but we want to make sure [NCCU players] have a chance to graduate," said Dickerson, who added that he will focus on both incoming freshmen and junior-college transfers for his recruiting classes. "I know the team almost won the CIAA Tournament last season [finishing second at the end of the team's second straight 16-13 season].

"My first year [as head coach at Chattanooga], after we had gone to the Sweet 16, we played at North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan and Ohio State."

Dickerson announced at the press conference at the Jones Building that assistant coach MarQus Johnson, who has been acting head coach since Spence was dismissed, will remain with the program.

Dickerson, a former NAIA All-American, played for both the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks in the NBA and has 23 years of coaching experience including 19 seasons at the NCAA Division I level.

Dickerson spent five seasons as head coach at Chattanooga from 1997-2002, guiding the Mocs to two Southern Conference South Division titles and a 72-73 record. During his tenure, 14 of his players received their degrees, and the Mocs led the conference in attendance each year.

He was associate head coach at Chattanooga under Mack McCarthy from 1989-97 and held assistant coaching positions at Marshall from 1983-89 and at his alma mater, the University of Charleston (W.Va.) from 1979-83.

"I'm real excited about the opportunity to work with this young man," NCCU athletics director Bill Hayes said. "He was one of the top 10 players in the history of his home state in terms of athletic ability. The thing I like the most about Henry is his passion -- his passion for the game and his passion for guiding student-athletes."

Dickerson will begin his duties on May 3 with an annual salary of $80,000 for his four-year contract.

"I'm impressed with his credentials," NCCU chancellor James Ammons said of the new coach. "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."

Robert C. Williams, chairman of the NCCU board of trustees, which approved the hiring, sounded equally optimistic.

"We're very pleased that Mr. Dickerson is going to report very soon as the head coach of the 2005 CIAA champions," Williams said. "We have great expectations."

A native of Beckley, W.Va., Dickerson lettered in basketball, football, baseball and track at Woodrow Wilson High. As a senior, he averaged 30 points and 13 rebounds per game to lead the Flying Eagles into the sectional finals and earn All-State honors.

After graduating with honors from his high school in 1969, Dickerson accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Morris Harvey College, now known as the University of Charleston, and led the school to the NAIA Tournament as a freshman.

The NAIA All-American averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds in college and still is the only person in the history of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to be named first team All-Conference and All-Tournament for four straight seasons. He also was voted to the state All-Academic before receiving his bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 1973.

He played pro basketball in Israel before signing as a free agent for the NBA's Detroit Pistons for the 1975-76 season, participating in 21 regular-season and five playoff games. He played six games for the Atlanta Hawks the next season, finishing with 45 career points and nine in the playoffs. He finished his pro career with the minor-league Allentown (Pa.) Jets.

He began coaching in 1978 at Maury High in Norfolk, Va. As an assistant boys' basketball coach, he helped guide the Commodores to the semifinals of the Group AAA state tournament.

He took his first collegiate coaching position in 1979 as an assistant at Charleston.

Dickerson accepted an assistant coaching position at Marshall in 1983, helping lead the Thundering Herd to three Southern Conference Tournament and four regular-season championships with three NCAA appearances and one NIT bid.

As McCarthy's assistant at Chattanooga, Dickerson was a part of four Southern Conference tournament and six regular-season championships, with the four NCAA Tournament appearances including a spot in the Sweet 16 in 1997.

Since the 2002 season, Dickerson has served as Assistant Dean of Student Development at Chattanooga. He was hired to be head coach of the Chattanooga Majic franchise in the fledgling World Basketball Association, but the team folded before playing a game.

Dickerson is married to the former Deborah Jones of Norfolk, Va., who is a graduate of Norfolk State and currently is employed as a grant writer for Hamilton County in Tennessee. They are the parents of two sons, Brian, a student at Chattanooga, and Brandon, 17.

Dickerson said his wife, who comes from a large family of Norfolk State graduates, wasn't his only connection with the CIAA. His aunt, Dr. Edris Jones, graduated from NCCU in 1948, and he said he is related by marriage to the school's founder, Dr. James Shepard.

Dickerson said he saw only one real challenge in coaching at a historically black university for the first time.

"Money," he said. "The enthusiasm and the competition in the CIAA, everything you need is here. But you've got to have the resources."

Dickerson was scheduled to meet with NCCU's returning players Wednesday afternoon.

Johnson said that he expected most of eight players -- center Jason Hervey, forwards Jonathan Moore and Mintrel Abney, shooting guard Curtis Knight, point guards Markael Brace, Will Price and Steve Randolph and reserve forward Travis Rogers -- to remain with the program.

"I'm glad to be staying on," Johnson said. "I think [Dickerson] and Coach Spence have some things in common, but the new coach isn't as laid back. This is a good opportunity, and I think we're going to have a good team next year."

Dickerson received applause from many of the NCCU dignitaries and supporters at the new conference when he said Johnson would continue. It wouldn't be his style to show the young assistant the door, he said.

"I've been in contact with him, and I believe in giving people opportunities," Dickerson said. "He's done a heck of a job [in the transition], and I believe he will continue to do that."