Chaffey Aquatics Coach Mike Dickson Retires After 44 Seasons

Article courtesy of Chaffey College Sports Information

After more than 40 years at Chaffey College, Mike Dickson has announced his retirement. Over the last four decades, Dickson has coached all levels of swimming and diving including safety, school, club, and college and is a fixture in California Cmmunity College aquatics. A retirement celebration for Dickson was held on the pool deck earlier this month and was attended by swimmers and coaches covering his complete time at Chaffey.

"Mike has made an impact on thousands of swimmers during his time here at the college," said Jeff Klein, Interim Athletic Director. "Athletes mentored by him have competed at all levels including state championships and Olympic trials, transferred to 4-year universities, and are successful professionals and community members. Coach Dickson inspired success in his students both academically and athletically and is highly regarded by those he coached.  The stories they shared are a testament to forty plus years of dedication."

Coaching aquatics at Chaffey since 1974, Dickson lead the Panthers to 14 conference championships, numerous state championships, and hundreds of All-American rankings. During his four decades with the college, he served as a diving coach, head coach of men's swim, women's swim, and men's water polo, and as a faculty member teaching swimming technique and lifesaving courses.

"Mike Dickson is an anchor that provided coaching, wisdom and guidance both in and out of the pool," commented Ryan Falcioni, a Chaffey College professor who swam for Dickson and then served as an assistant swim coach for 7 years. "To me, this is really what is most remarkable about him. He invests in the lives of his students, swimmers, and colleagues with great generosity, concern and love."

Through the college's summer swim program, Dickson has been instrumental in teaching thousands of children to swim. The program is one of the most highly regarded community swim safety programs in the Inland Empire with parents returning to have their children taught in the same pool they learned to swim in. In addition, Dickson created the Hillside Aquatics Club in 1978 to develop competitive swimmers in the region. Many of these swimmers continued their athletics at the high school and college levels with some continuing to swim for Coach Mike at Chaffey.

An alumnus of the college, Dickson dove for the Panthers in 1968 and 1973 under legendary coach Howard Theurer, who was among the well-wishers on hand to celebrate this milestone. During the intermittent years, Dickson served in the US Army, stationed in Germany. He continued his education at Cal Poly Pomona, where he also dove.