Dickens Promoted to Women's Basketball Head Coach
EMORY, Va. | You can take the interim tag from Anne Crutchfield's title, and cross it out with a blue and gold marker. Emory & Henry College made it official on Wednesday, naming Crutchfield director of athletics.
Crutchfield just completed her fifth year as the head women's basketball coach, while serving the past two seasons as the interim director of athletics. A 1989 graduate of E&H, Crutchfield returned to her alma mater in 2014 after spending the previous eight years as the head girls' basketball coach at Franklin County High School.
"I would like to thank our president, Jake Schrum and provost, Dr. John Wells for this opportunity," said Crutchfield. "The dedication of our coaching staff and support of our alumni is beyond compare. This is an exciting time for Emory & Henry College and I feel tremendously blessed to be able to serve in this role. I look forward to the growth of our department and the continued success of our programs."
In 2017-18, Crutchfield led E&H to a program-record 23 wins and its first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament, advancing to the second round. Crutchfield was recognized as the ODAC Coach of the Year that same year. The Wasps were consistently ranked nationally this past season.
Replacing Crutchfield on the bench will be Jaclyn Dickens who completed her fourth year on the women's basketball staff, and her first year as the associate head coach. A 1999 graduate of the College, Dickens returned to E&H with nearly 15 years of coaching experience at both the college and high school levels including eight years as the head women's basketball coach at Virginia Intermont College.
"I am beyond grateful to be chosen as the next head women's basketball coach at my alma mater," said Dickens. "I hope to continue with the success and culture that Anne has developed over the past few years. The expectations are now high, and we want to maintain those standards."
Dickens got her start in coaching at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. She started the girls' basketball program at Oak Hill and spent four seasons as head coach.
"Jaclyn has been instrumental to the success of our team over the last four years," added Crutchfield. "She is a proven recruiter and an excellent student of the game. Given Jaclyn's experience, her love for Emory & Henry College and her commitment to our Women's Basketball family, she is the perfect choice to lead this group of amazing young ladies."
Current assistant women's basketball coach Robert Yonce will remain on staff.
Emory & Henry just completed its best four years in program history with 83 wins, a .755 overall winning percentage and a .772 winning percentage in conference games. The Wasps reached the ODAC Tournament semifinals in four of the last five seasons and made it to the league title game last year.
--- This release is courtesy of the Emory & Henry College sports information department. ---
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