The College of New Jersey Athletics

Alma Mater: Rutgers College '73
Year of Service: Third
Hometown: Orange, NJ
Education: BA, English

Entering the 2015 season, Wayne Dickens carries a 7-13 mark at TCNJ after his second season in charge of the program.

The Lions encountered a challenging schedule in 2014, squaring off against defending national champion and top-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater. They finished 2-8 overall, registering wins over Kean University and FDU-Florham. Six players earned all-conference honors as voted by the coaches.
 
TCNJ enjoyed an exciting 2013 campaign as they remained in the hunt for the conference title entering week 9 of the regular season. The Lions were tough on defense and were ranked amongst the nation’s best throughout the season in total defense and scoring defense. Eight players received NJAC post-season honors under Dickens, including the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year in Nick Bricker ’13.

Dickens brings over 20 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level and nearly 40 years overall. He arrived at TCNJ from Kentucky State University where he was the head football coach from the fall of 2009 through 2012. His understanding of the game is comprehensive as he has served as an offensive and defensive coordinator along with working as special teams coordinator.
 
The veteran coach has enjoyed stints at the Division I and Division II levels as well as working with the Canadian Football League (CFL). Dickens broke into the collegiate ranks at the University of Washington as a defensive line and linebackers coach. He coached special teams and linebackers at the University of San Diego before moving into the role of wide receiver’s coach. Dickens was named offensive coordinator at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. before assuming the same role at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va.
 
After spending the 2008 season as wide receiver’s coach at Kentucky State, Dickens was named interim head coach of the Thorobreds in 2009. As head coach at KSU, he also served as the team’s offensive and special team’s coordinator during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. Dickens shifted to defensive coordinator in 2012. He enjoyed a pair of winning seasons as head coach and an overall record of 17-25.
 
In the professional ranks, Dickens was a receiver’s coach and special teams assistant for the B.C. Lions Football Club in 2002. He also served as a regional scout for the Hamilton Tiger Cats Football Club of the CFL.
 
Dickens coached wide receivers at San Diego State University from 1995-2001. In seven seasons at SDSU, he had three receivers eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and 14 moved on to the professional ranks. The Aztecs won a Western Athletic Conference, Pacific Division, Co-Championship and Las Vegas Bowl berth in 1998. Dickens also added the title of Special Teams Coordinator to his duties at SDSU in 1999.
 
Dickens served as the linebacker coach and special teams coordinator at the University of San Diego in 1994, where his team ranked first in the conference and second in the nation in net punting. Dickens’ first collegiate coaching experience came in Seattle, as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington in 1992 and 1993. He assisted with the defensive Line, linebackers and special teams with the Huskies, who won the Pacific 10 Conference Championship and went on to the 1993 Rose Bowl.
 
Dickens has also participated in the NFL Minority Internship Program, serving summer internships with the Chicago Bears (1996 & 97) and the Miami Dolphins (2003).
 
Dickens, a native of Orange, New Jersey, received a degree in English from Rutgers College in 1973. Dickens also completed some graduate coursework at Rutgers and the University of Washington in the field of educational psychology and industrial education.