Ron Dickerson, Sr., is in his second season as an assistantcoach at Gardner-Webb University, and first as receivers coach.
Dickerson is part of the coaching staff of his son, RonDickerson, Jr., who is entering his second season in charge of theRunnin’ Bulldogs and following in the path of his father. Theelder Dickerson comes to GWU after spending the 2010 season as headcoach at NAIA member Lambuth (Tenn.) University.
Dickerson, Sr., brings a tremendous amount of experience to theprogram, teaching and developing student-athletes at the highestlevels of college football as both a position coach andcoordinator. During that time, he has tutored 27 players that havegone on to play in the National Football League.
Dickerson has also served as head coach at Temple (1992-1997)and Alabama State (1998-1999). He is a past president of the BlackCoaches Association (BCA) and was the first African-American headcoach in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).
His first coaching job came after an injury ended a promisingprofessional career during the 1972 preseason with the MiamiDolphins, a team that went on to a historic, 16-0, season. TheDolphins drafted Dickerson in the seventh round of the 1971 NFLDraft out of Kansas State, where he was a standout cornerback.
He coached in the secondary at his alma mater from 1972-1975,before going on to the University of Louisville for three seasons.Dickerson coached the secondary at Pittsburgh from 1978-81 -helping the Panthers to back-to-back 11-1 seasons in 1979 and 1980.The program was squarely in the national championship discussionboth seasons. After a year away from the game, Dickerson returnedto the sidelines as assistant head coach at Colorado (1982-84)before heading back to his home state to begin a successful careeras secondary coach at Penn State.
During his time in Happy Valley (1985-90), Dickerson helped theNittany Lions post a 53-17 record, including a 12-0 mark and astirring, 14-10, Fiesta Bowl win over Miami (Fla.) to claim the1987 National Championship. Four of his defensive backs went on toearn All-America honors and seven played in the NFL.
Dickerson moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, takingover as defensive coordinator at Clemson, where he orchestrated oneof the best defensive units in the storied programs’ historyin his first season.
The 1991 Tigers won the program’s last ACC title with a9-1 regular season mark. That season, Dickerson’s defenseranked No. 1 nationally against the run (61.0 ypg), No. 4nationally in total defense and No. 10 in scoring defense. Seven ofthe top 10 tacklers on that 1991 defense went on to play in theNFL, including Ed McDaniel, Levon Kirkland, Chester McGlockton,Brenston Bucker and Wayne Simmons - with McGlockton and Simmonsdeveloping into first round picks. McDaniel, Kirkland andMcGlockton each went on to play in the Pro Bowl. In 1992, Dickersoncoached future NFL Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins, who was afreshman on that team.
Dickerson was a three-year letterwinner at Kansas State, andstill ranks third on the school’s single-season list with 19passes defended in 1970. He also ranks among the school’sleaders with 162 career interception return yards (eight careerinterceptions), and was invited to play in the East-West ShrineGame and the College All-Star Game following his senior season.Dickerson’s head football coach as a four-sport star atCoraopolis (Pa.) High was future NFL head coach Foge Fazio.
Dickerson graduated from Kansas State in 1971 with a degree inPhysical Education. He and his wife, Jeannie, were married onFebruary 1, 1969. They are the proud parents of two children, Ron,Jr., and Rashawn, and four grandchildren.
