ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 8, 1996 TAG: 9610080052
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
TEMPLE COACH Ron Dickerson decides to keep plugging away with the Owls after a tough loss to Pitt.
Upon further review, Virginia Tech will not be facing a team Saturday that has a lame-duck coach.
Obviously, Ron Dickerson's impulse decision to quit as Temple's coach after last Saturday's stunning 53-52 Big East Conference loss at Pittsburgh was a correctable error.
``Now it's time to get back to work and get ready for the Hokies,'' Dickerson said Monday.
Certainly, it was a tumultuous weekend for Dickerson & Co. Minutes after the Owls had blown a 19-point fourth-quarter lead, minutes after he had called for a fake punt on fourth-and-one from his own 43 with 2:44 left that failed and set up Pitt's winning touchdown, a teary-eyed Dickerson informed his team he had had enough. He was done.
``A lot of things were going through my mind, probably the biggest was I had lost the game,'' Dickerson said. ``I wanted to come into the locker room and not let our players point fingers at themselves.
``I wanted to take the brunt of the loss, and that's what I did. It may not have been smart, but I did it.''
After a heart-to-heart talk with his family Sunday morning, Dickerson realized he had made a mistake and should reverse his decision immediately.
``One thing my son [Ron Jr.] echoed was, `Dad, you're not a quitter, you've never been one in your life.' That really hit home.''
Dickerson met with Dave O'Brien, Owls athletic director, later Sunday.
``Dave never even flinched,'' Dickerson said. ``He said, `Ron, we knew that was a tough loss for you, we knew you were in a state of anxiety and frustration, and we really didn't [pay] much attention to [Dickerson's resignation announcement] unless it's true.' And I said it wasn't true.
``I appreciate the university for letting me retract my statement and continue to coach this team.''
Dickerson said he was simply overcome by the frustration of blowing what would have been Temple's second Big East victory ever.
``The more I thought about it,'' said Dickerson, ``I said what in the world are you doing, you knucklehead? You put too much into this program to do this.'''
Dickerson, 48, is serving his fourth season of a five-year contract at the Philadelphia-based school. The Owls are 5-33 under Dickerson, including 1-21 in the Big East.
The coach said the mounting losses have done a number on him.
``I put a lot of pressure on myself,'' he said. ``I told the team that I've bore a lot of burdens the past three-and-a-half years and it's about time for me to start sharing some of these losses with members of my staff and some players.
``I'm either going to have to do it or it's going to kill me because I've taken on just too much. I have to start divvying the blame and that's just what I'm going to do. It'll happen.''
Chances are, it will happen Saturday at Lane Stadium. The Owls are early 22-point underdogs to the Hokies.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Dickerson.by CNB