By A.J. CARR, Staff Writer

DURHAM -- Sporting a blue suit, dotted gray tie and a neatly trimmed mustache, 52-year-old Henry Dickerson stepped to the podium and covered his thinning hair with an N.C. Central cap.
"It fits,'' said Dickerson with a smile while being introduced as the Eagles head basketball coach Wednesday.

NCCU officials said Dickerson, a former Chattanooga head coach, also is a good fit for NCCU, which signed him to a four-year contract with an annual salary of $80,000.

"All in the land of Eagles know we made the right decision,'' NCCU Chancellor James Ammons said. "All of us are impressed with his credentials, his background as a coach and administrator. He understands how to balance academics and athletics."

Dickerson succeeds Phil Spence, who went 49-64 in four seasons and was fired after leading NCCU to a 16-13 record and the CIAA Tournament final last season.

Dickerson can empathize with Spence. In five seasons at Chattanooga, he won or shared two Southern Conference South Division titles but had a 72-73 overall record and was released following the 2002 campaign. He remained at the school for two years as assistant dean of student development.

During NCCU's search, his name surfaced along with former Eagles player Joel Hopkins and more than 30 other applicants. NCCU athletics director Bill Hayes said he talked with Hopkins, but Hopkins said on Tuesday he had decided the job was not the right situation for him.

Hayes began to focus more sharply on Dickerson after getting a phone call from Kentucky coach Tubby Smith.

"Tubby told me what a great basketball coach Henry was, told me we could not go wrong with him,'' Hayes said. "I like his quiet, dignified fire. I know he's a winner. He has raised money. He knows how to get the job done, to do all we want to do here."

Dickerson still has the lean look of a basketball player, which he was. He made NAIA All-America at Morris Harvey, now the University of Charleston, W.Va. He then had brief NBA experiences with Detroit and Atlanta, where he played for former Duke assistant and current Memphis Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown.

Dickerson's self-described demeanor is "low key." But he stressed that he's a disciplinarian and knows when to unleash explosive energy.

He also is cognizant of NCCU officials' great expectations, which include winning the CIAA Tournament. The Eagles won a Division II national title in 1989, but they haven't captured the conference crown since 1950.

Dickerson is familiar with the CIAA, and he says he knows what it will take to lift the Eagles to that next plateau.

His plan is to recruit high school and junior college talent, a combination he insists is a must to succeed in the CIAA, which thrives on transfers. As for playing style, Dickerson likes the uptempo but will place an extra emphasis on defense.

Staffing is another priority. So far, Dickerson says he will retain assistant MarQus Johnson, who worked four years with Spence.

"I don't know how many games we will win, but I want to make sure [our players] have a chance to graduate,'' Dickerson said. "I especially want to prepare them for the real world."

Dickerson was accompanied by his wife of 25 years, Deborah, and spoke fondly of their two sons, Brian and Brandon.

The coach also revealed a sense of self-deprecating humor -- especially when talking about his golf game.

"There's no golf course in the world that can hold me,'' he said with a grin. "Sometimes I come back with scratches on my arms [from looking for the balls in the woods]."

This summer Dickerson doesn't plan to spend much time swinging at Titleists. Instead he'll be trying to figure out how to win a CIAA basketball title.
 

Staff writer A.J. Carr can be reached at 829-8948 or ajcarr@newsobserver.com