Dave Dickerson enters his sixth season as the head men’s basketball coach at USC Upstate during the 2023-24 season after being introduced as the program's 10th head coach on April 5, 2018.
In 2022-23, he guided the Spartans to another of the program's most successful seasons with his program earning a second consecutive No. 4 seed in the Big South Men's Basketball Championship and advancing to the semifinal round of the tournament for the second straight season. The season also culminated with a second consecutive national postseason appearance, earning a bid to the College Basketball Invitational--the highest level of postseason basketball for the program in the Division I era (2007-pres.).
He guided the Spartans to one of the program's most successful seasons in 2021-22 as the team earned the No. 4 seed in the Big South Men's Basketball Championship and set a program record for conference victories as a Big South member with 10. The Spartans also reached the Big South Tournament semifinals for the first time as a Big South member (Upstate joined the conference ahead of the 2018-19 season) and earned a bid to The Basketball Classic presented by Eracism. At the conclusion of the season, Dickerson was also named a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award while also leading his program to the 2021-22 Big South Team Sportsmanship award.
A native of Olar, S.C., Dickerson has over 20 years of college coaching experience with stops at Gardner-Webb, James Madison, Radford, Maryland, Tulane and Ohio State. He was hired at USC Upstate after spending one year as a scout for the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
He spent seven seasons on the coaching staff for Thad Matta at Ohio State from 2010-17, serving as the associate head coach for the last six. In those seven years on the sidelines for the Buckeyes, Dickerson was a part of 181 victories, two Big 10 Regular Season titles, three Big Ten Tournament title game appearances, three Sweet 16 appearances, an Elite Eight run in 2013 and the 2012 Final Four. Ohio State participated in NCAA Tournament play in five of his seven seasons.
Dickerson spent five years as head coach at Tulane prior to being hired at Ohio State. He compiled a 68-84 record, 31-47 in Conference USA, 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 Green Wave to back-to-back winning seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08, a feat that had not been achieved in the 11 previous years. To start his tenure, he led Tulane to four consecutive opening-round wins in the Conference USA Tournament.
Prior to being named head coach for the Green Wave, Dickerson served as an assistant coach at Maryland, his alma mater, under head coach Gary Williams for nine years. In 2004-05, Dickerson was elevated to associate head coach. He helped the Terrapins to nine consecutive postseason appearances, including five Sweet 16’s, two Final Fours and the program’s first-ever National Championship in 2002. Maryland also enjoyed eight 20-win seasons during his tenure. Serving as the lead recruiter for the Terrapins, Dickerson recruited and coached two NBA lottery picks – Steve Francis (1999) and Chris Wilcox (2002) – and four overall first round picks in Keith Booth (1997), Francis, Wilcox and Juan Dixon (2002).
After leaving James Madison, Dickerson was on the coaching staff at Radford for four seasons as an assistant coach. The recruiting classes he helped assemble were ranked among the nation’s best. The 1994 season saw the Highlanders compile a 20-8 record and a school-record winning percentage of 71.4. Radford also gained national acclaim and became one of the Big South’s most successful programs during his tenure. Radford defeated LSU, 73-72, on Dec. 30, 1993, to gain the biggest victory in school history.
Soon after graduating from college, Dickerson began his coaching career at Gardner-Webb for one season. He joined then joined former head coach Lefty Driesell at James Madison for a 1992 season that culminated in a bid to the NIT.
Coaching accolades for Dickerson throughout his coaching career include AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003, the ACC’s No. 1 Assistant Coach as named by Basketball News (2003-04), Athlon Sports’ No. 4 Assistant Coach in the nation (2003-04) and 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.
Dickerson played forward at Maryland from 1985-89 and earned four varsity letters. He was co-captain as a senior in 1989. Dickerson saw action in the 1986 and 1988 NCAA Tournaments and was a member of three teams that advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals. The Terps won 19 games his freshman year and 18 during his junior season. Dickerson was a starter on the 1989 team that became the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament when the Terps knocked off N.C. State.
He graduated from Maryland in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in government and politics.
Dickerson and his late wife, Laurette, who bravely fought breast cancer for over five years before passing away on March 2, 2022, have one son, Dave III who is a redshirt senior on the men's basketball team.
