George Dickson
Encyclopedia
George Dickson is a retired American football player and coach was the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of the Canadian Football League
for the first two games of the 1976 season.
. He was a star quarterback at South Pasadena High School
and in 1940 joined the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
team. After his freshman season, Dickson enlisted as a Paratrooper
. He saw extensive action during the war, including combat in Normandy on D-Day
. He returned to Notre Dame in 1946, but dropped out in order to work full time. He returned to Notre Dame again in 1948 and spent his final two seasons of eligibility as a reserve quarterback behind Frank Tripucka
and Bob Williams
.
in Chicago, Dickson rejoined his NYU boss Hugh Devore
at Dayton
. Dickson's time at Dayton was short-lived as one month later he left Dayton to become the backfield coach at his alma mater, Notre Dame. After only one season, Dickson left Notre Dame and returned to Dayton.
After stints at Marquette
, USC, Pacific
, and Tulane
, Dickson joined the pro ranks as an assistant with the Oakland Raiders
of the American Football League
. He returned to college football in 1962 as an assistant at Oklahoma
.
In 1976, Dickson received his first head coaching position when he was hired by the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After the Tiger-Cats lost all four of their preseason games and their first two regular season games under Dickson, General Manager Bob Shaw fired him and succeeded him as head coach.
After his firing, Dickson served as an assistant coach at San Bernardino Valley College
.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for the first two games of the 1976 season.
Early life
Dickson was born in Boston and grew up in South Pasadena, CaliforniaSouth Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
. He was a star quarterback at South Pasadena High School
South Pasadena High School
South Pasadena High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 located in the city of South Pasadena, California.The school is one of five schools in the South Pasadena Unified School District....
and in 1940 joined the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
team. After his freshman season, Dickson enlisted as a Paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. He saw extensive action during the war, including combat in Normandy on D-Day
American airborne landings in Normandy
The American airborne landings in Normandy were the first United States combat operations during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944. Around 13,100 paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on...
. He returned to Notre Dame in 1946, but dropped out in order to work full time. He returned to Notre Dame again in 1948 and spent his final two seasons of eligibility as a reserve quarterback behind Frank Tripucka
Frank Tripucka
Francis Joseph Tripucka is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback, at Notre Dame, in the National Football League, in the Canadian Football League, and in the early American Football League.-Notre Dame Fighting Irish:Tripucka was backup quarterback to Heisman Trophy...
and Bob Williams
Bob Williams (quarterback)
Robert "Bob" Allen Williams is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Early years:After graduating from Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson, Maryland, Williams attended Notre Dame, where, as a nineteen year-old junior quarterback, he won the National...
.
Coaching career
Dickson began his coaching career in 1952 as an assistant at NYU. The football program was disbanded after his first season there and after spending the 1953 season as an assistant at Mount Carmel High SchoolMount Carmel High School (Chicago)
Mount Carmel High School is an all boys, Catholic high school in the city of Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school has been operated by the Carmelite order of priests and brothers since 1900...
in Chicago, Dickson rejoined his NYU boss Hugh Devore
Hugh Devore
Hugh John Devore was a football player and coach whose close connection to the University of Notre Dame saw him serve in both capacities, while also seeing time as head coach at two other colleges as well as the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles.-Early career:Devore was born and...
at Dayton
Dayton Flyers
The Dayton Flyers are the University of Dayton's intercollegiate athletic teams, which are based in Dayton, Ohio. The Flyers' home arena is the University of Dayton Arena. The name is a reference and homage to Daytonians Orville and Wilbur Wright who pioneered heavier than air flight...
. Dickson's time at Dayton was short-lived as one month later he left Dayton to become the backfield coach at his alma mater, Notre Dame. After only one season, Dickson left Notre Dame and returned to Dayton.
After stints at Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles
The Marquette Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Marquette University....
, USC, Pacific
Pacific Tigers football
The Pacific Tigers football team represented University of the Pacific in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team competed in the Big West Conference during their last season in 1995...
, and Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
, Dickson joined the pro ranks as an assistant with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. He returned to college football in 1962 as an assistant at Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
In 1976, Dickson received his first head coaching position when he was hired by the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After the Tiger-Cats lost all four of their preseason games and their first two regular season games under Dickson, General Manager Bob Shaw fired him and succeeded him as head coach.
After his firing, Dickson served as an assistant coach at San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College is a community college located in San Bernardino, California. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The two-year college has an enrollment of approximately 25,000 students and covers...
.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | HAM Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium... |
1976 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 4th in East Division | 0 | 0 | Fired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |