HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Dustin Dickerson helped Southern Miss win back-to-back regionals with his glove, his bat and a competitive edge that head coach Christian Ostrander was happy to welcome back into the dugout this offseason. Now, the former Golden Eagles standout shortstop is back in Hattiesburg and learning how to put all of that to work as a coach.
After deciding to retire from his professional playing career this summer, Dickerson returned to Pete Taylor Park in an infield player development role. And while the job has changed, it hasn't taken long for Southern Miss to bring back those old feelings he had while wearing the black and gold.
"Man, this place brings a fire out in me that playing professionally I wasn’t getting,” Dickerson told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI.
His return is an encouraging development for a program looking to build on another championship season by taking things to the next level. One of the players who helped Southern Miss reach its last two super regionals is back, and he has plenty he wants to accomplish with one of the most talented rosters the program has had top to bottom.
The Phone Call That Brought Dickerson Home
According to Ostrander, the possibility of bringing Dickerson back to Hattiesburg began with the former shortstop himself.
“It’s crazy. It was all unsolicited. It was all Dustin,” Ostrander told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. “Before Travis even got that job, we knew that [Dustin] was contemplating hanging it up, wanting to get back here, loves baseball, loves Southern Miss. Didn’t know what that meant. So that seed was planted a little bit, but it hadn’t been carried out by him and his decision yet.”
Dickerson was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft and reached Triple-A before retiring on June 24. When it came time to figure out his next step, he knew exactly who to call.
“My career came to an end professionally, and I decided to give Coach Oz a ring and see what was available,” Dickerson said. “He wasn’t expecting it, because a few months before, I was packing my bags to go to Arizona for spring training and a long season.
“And he was thrilled, and he said, ‘You know what, man? I’m on vacation with my wife. I wasn’t expecting this, but give me a few days, and I’ll give you a call back.’ Sure enough, he gave me a call back, and we met in his office, and it was awesome. I couldn’t be more grateful for him and everybody else on the staff, and the opportunity I have coming back here.”
The call came as Ostrander was reshaping his staff following longtime hitting coach Travis Creel's departure to become Jacksonville State's head coach. Ladd Rhodes moved from recruiting coordinator to hitting coach, and Kyle Cheesebrough came aboard as the new recruiting coordinator, also helping with the infield.
Dickerson's sudden availability helped Ostrander put the Golden Eagles' infield coaching responsibilities together. Cheesebrough could oversee that area, with Dickerson providing individual instructions at the positions he knows so well.
“Now you got the instructor, you got the guy that’s going to get out there that gets one-on-one with your shortstop, second base, turning double plays, kind of the infield instructor, and you got the infield director, and it was just a perfect fit,” Ostrander said.
That Fire is Still There
Southern Miss fans fondly remember what Dickerson brought to the Golden Eagles' infield and at the plate during his time as a player here.
The Laurel native and West Jones product started 208 games over his four seasons. In 2023, he hit .328 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs, earning first-team All-Sun Belt honors. He then famously hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs over five games at the Auburn Regional, was named Most Outstanding Player, and helped the Golden Eagles advance to a second straight super regional.
Ostrander remembers the confidence that came with Dickerson's production.
“Dustin, he loves this place. He loves it, and he wants to coach. He’s got a tremendous baseball IQ,” Ostrander said. “But also, Dustin had an attitude, too, in a good way. A toughness... a swagger when he played here that I think is good to get back, because it’s good to keep Southern Miss guys around.”
Dickerson is figuring out how to bring that same edge to coaching while applying what professional baseball taught him about managing it.
“It’s not as easy as it is said,” Dickerson said. “Playing professionally is a lot different than playing college. There’s a lot of games, and if you’re that fiery all the time, it can wear you down. So playing professionally the past four years, I’ve learned how to keep my cool a little bit more than I was here.”
With that being said, though, there's just something about Southern Miss that gets Dickerson's blood pumping, which is part of why Ostrander was so excited to bring him back into the fold.
“Man, this place brings a fire out in me that playing professionally I wasn't getting," Dickerson said. "I'm thrilled, and these guys, I'm just giving them my all and giving them my baseball knowledge, and if I can do anything else for them."
Part of that rekindled fire and enthusiasm has shown up in the former shortstop's willingness to speak up, according to Ostrander.
“I think he’s not afraid to tell you what he thinks. He’s not afraid to say, ‘That’s wrong,’ to these guys,” Ostrander said.
Although Dickerson is new to coaching, his credibility from his playing career makes his advice to these players valuable. As Ostrander explained, some of the players Dickerson now coaches were being recruited while he was helping Southern Miss win those regionals. They knew who he was well before he joined the staff.
"All these young guys, too, they know who Dustin was, and they respect him,” Ostrander said. “They know he was a tremendous player, a great player, and yeah, that toughness, swagger part, I think that goes a long way. I think it rubs off on them.”
A Familiar Standard and The Ultimate Goal
Dickerson has been impressed by the players he's working with this offseason, particularly the newcomers pushing for opportunities.
“There’s a ton of competition,” Dickerson said. “The freshmen are bigger than ever. They’re strong, physical, faster than I ever was as a player. It’s pretty cool to see.
“But yeah, we got a couple veteran guys returning. We got a couple veteran guys who transferred in that we’re super excited about. But the freshman class, man, is really cool. They’re strong, and we’re really excited.”
That gives Dickerson and the rest of the coaching staff plenty to work with as Southern Miss prepares for 2027. It also gives him an opportunity to not only help maintain the program's tradition of excellence he experienced firsthand, but also advance it.
When legendary head coach Scott Berry retired after the 2023 season, Ostrander inherited a program accustomed to winning and has kept it competing for championships year after year.
Southern Miss finished 44-17 in 2026, capturing both the Sun Belt regular-season and tournament titles. The Golden Eagles have won three Sun Belt tournament championships in four years and have reached at least 40 wins in 10 consecutive full seasons, the longest such streak in the nation.
Keeping that going requires developing the next generation, even as familiar players and coaches move on. This offseason, Ostrander promoted Rhodes, added Cheesebrough's experience and brought back someone who fully understands what winning at Southern Miss means from the players' side.
"He's working his tail off," Ostrander said of Dickerson's transition to coaching. "Him and Coach Cheese are doing a great job together with those infielders."
Dickerson has helped Southern Miss play into mid-June multiple times, but the ultimate goal is to break through that barrier and play into late June in the near future.
"Man, I'm trying to get to Omaha and win it," Dickerson said. "So whatever I can do to help that happen, I'll do it.”
The fire that Southern Miss fans remember is still very much there, and the next generation of Golden Eagle baseball players now get to watch it up close and learn from it.
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