BREAKING: Former Star Dustin Dickerson Returns to Southern Miss as Infielder Development Coach

Dustin Dickerson was one of the best shortstops to ever play at Southern Miss, and now he'll give back to the program by teaching the next generation of Golden Eagle infielders as a development coach.

Southern Miss Athletics

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – It was an eventful Wednesday for the Southern Miss baseball program, to say the least. Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Golden Eagles are elevating former recruiting coordinator Ladd Rhodes to hitting coach and hiring former Mississippi State and Houston assistant Kyle Cheesebrough as the new recruiting coordinator.

The good coaching staff news didn't stop there, as D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers reported late Wednesday night that the Golden Eagles are also bringing back former star shortstop Dustin Dickerson to take on a player development role for infielders exclusively.

Southern Miss Athletics

During his illustrious four-year, 208-game career at Southern Miss, Dickerson batted .311 with 245 hits, 112 RBI, 13 home runs, 60 doubles and five triples. He also posted a .950 fielding percentage during that span as well.

Dickerson made a great final impression during his senior year in 2023, helping the Golden Eagles win the Auburn Regional as the No. 2 seed and allowing Southern Miss to host a Hattiesburg Super Regional.

Southern Miss Athletics

Despite the continued success the program has had in the regular season and Sun Belt Conference tournament since then, that 2023 season was the last time the Golden Eagles advanced past the regional round of the NCAA tournament. Dickerson will now play a big role, as he attempts to help the program get over that hump.

Since graduating from Southern Miss, Dickerson spent the last four years working on his professional baseball career in the MLB minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals’ affiliate teams. However, he recently retired from pro baseball on June 24, opening the door for his return to Southern Miss and the start of his coaching career.

Dickerson, a Laurel native and West Jones product, was a fan favorite as a player, and we imagine it won't take long for him to be one as an assistant coach as well. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more on this hire in the coming days.