SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- After leading USC Upstate men's basketball in the program's transition to the Big South Conference and leading the program to greater heights with a pair of postseason appearances and the highest order of postseason tournament play in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.), head coach Dave Dickerson has resigned his position to pursue other coaching opportunities.
"It was my pleasure to serve USC Upstate as the head men's basketball coach the last six years. I am forever grateful for the support Chancellor Harris and his administration, my staff, my players, and especially the Spartanburg community," expressed Dickerson. "Lastly, I want to thank #SpartanArmy for your unwavering support of men's basketball. I will always be a Spartan and their number one fan."
"I want to sincerely thank coach Dickerson for his contributions to Upstate men's basketball over the past six seasons. Dave has been a great ambassador for our University in the community, and stewarded our program with integrity and class throughout his tenure. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors," expressed vice chancellor of intercollegiate athletics Matthew Martin.
Taking over as the program's head coach in April 2018, the Olar, S.C. native ushered the Spartans into the Big South, leading the program to 65 victories during his six-year tenure as Upstate's head coach. He led the Spartans to the semifinal round of the Big South Men's Basketball Championship in consecutive seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, guiding the program to consecutive postseason appearances (2021 The Basketball Classic presented by Eracism and 2022 College Basketball Invitational) for the second time in the D1 era.
During his Upstate tenure, he tutored 15 All-Big South honorees and two All-Americans, including the 2021 Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year Nevin Zink and 2022 Big South Freshman of the Year Jordan Gainey. Dickerson also led his team to win the 2021-22 Big South Team Sportsmanship Award while that same season, he was named a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award.
Associate head coach Andrew Garcia will serve as the program's interim head coach and a national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.
