The University of South Carolina Upstate recently announced that Dave Dickerson will join the university as head coach of the men’s basketball team.
Dickerson, who is currently employed with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, spent seven years on the sidelines at The Ohio State University as the associate head men’s basketball coach. Dickerson has been a part of 181 victories, two Big Ten regular-season titles, three Big Ten Tournament title game appearances, and participation in NCAA Tournament play in five of seven years with Ohio State. USC Upstate Chancellor Brendan Kelly will officially introduce Dickerson to the campus and community during a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 5, 2018, in the G.B. Hodge Center, located at 365 Hodge Drive.
“We could not be more pleased that Coach Dickerson will return to his home state to lead the Spartans,” said Kelly. “With 12 NCAA post-season appearances, eight Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours and a National Championship, he brings an all-new level of experience to the Upstate region, and we look forward to a fantastic future.”
Prior to Ohio State, Dickerson was head coach at Tulane University for five seasons. This, after inheriting a Green Wave basketball program that had registered just one winning season during the five years prior to his arrival. He guided the Wave to back-to-back winning seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Before taking over the program at Tulane, Dickerson spent nine years as an assistant under Gary Williams at the University of Maryland, his alma mater, and in 2004-05, was the program’s associate head coach. He helped the Terrapins to nine consecutive post-season appearances and eight 20-win seasons.
Accolades for Dickerson include recognition as an AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year, the ACC’s No. 1 Assistant Coach as named by Basketball News, Athlon Sports’ No. 4 Assistant Coach in the nation and as an “Assistant Coach on the Rise” as tabbed by ESPN’s Andy Katz. He was the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 8 Coach of the year in 2007-08.
A native of Olar, S.C., Dickerson graduated from the University of Maryland in 1990 with a degree in government and politics. He and his wife, Laurette, have one child, Dave III.