UWG Welcomes Dickey as Football Coach
The new UWG football coach, Daryl Dickey, was introduced to the community, Booster Club members and the campus at a press conference with a standing room only crowd. . Fans had an opportunity to meet and greet Dickey at the event.
Dickey, a 25-year coaching veteran will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former coach Mike Ledford in November.
“I am very excited to be here,” said Dickey. “My job is to get the football program caught up with the rest of the university. We are going to build something that our community and our campus will be proud of. And I will make a promise that players are student athletes first. Students will never be sacrificed, athletes will.”
Dickey brings a wealth of experience to West Georgia. His experience includes four seasons as head coach at Presbyterian College. While with the Blue Hose, Dickey helped orchestrate a turnaround in Presbyterian football, culminating with a 9-2 record in 2000 that was the best at the school since 1979.
Following the 2000 season Dickey began a six-year stretch as quarterback coach on the staff of Bobby Bowden at Florida State. During his run in Tallahassee, the Seminoles won three Atlantic Coast Conference titles. Two of Dickey’s quarterbacks, Chris Rix in 2001 and Drew Weatherford in 2005, earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors.
Dickey’s extensive background in football goes beyond his stops at Presbyterian and Florida State. His father Doug Dickey served as head football coach at both the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida, and is retired as director of athletics at Tennessee.
Beyond working twice for Bowden at Florida State, Dickey also served on the coaching staffs of Johnny Majors at Tennessee and Bill Curry at Kentucky. At Kentucky, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the Wildcats. He spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Georgia Southern.
Despite his coaching success, many fans more readily remember Dickey as a player at Tennessee. He capped his senior season in 1985 by leading the Southeastern Conference in passing efficiency while pushing the Vols to the SEC title. He also captured Most Valuable Player honors in the Sugar Bowl as the Vols drilled Miami, 35-7.
After his collegiate playing career, Dickey moved to professional football. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers and spent the 1986 training camp with them. After that, Dickey also spent one season with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL.
Go Wolves!
