Bickham resigns as D'ville AD

Gabriel Pruett
The Orange Leader

DEWEYVILLE April 10, 2008 05:43 pm

— Dwight Bickham is stepping down as athletics director at Deweyville High School and for one reason only — to spend time with his family.
Bickham has spent the last three years as head coach of the Pirates and brought Deweyville to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons.
Now with his wife Chris working more and children Caleb, Beau and Payton growing older, Bickham found staying away from home less desirable.
“I need more time with my family,” Bickham said on Thursday. “Spending time with them is hard to do with being an athletics director but that is the only reason I am stepping down. It was a tough decision but it was one that had to be made. It is time for me to start watching what my kids are doing.”
Bickham, a 1983 graduate of Deweyville, did say his coaching career is not over and plans to apply around the area to be an assistant coach.
“I will coach and be an assistant somewhere,” Bickham added. “There is a lot of time that is involved with being an AD and now is not the right time for me.”
The Pirates were 18-13 under Bickham’s direction and made the playoffs for the first time since 1996 when Deweyville reached the postseason in 2005.
“We had some good times during the three years,” Bickham said. “We were fortunate those first two seasons because we had some great players. I am glad to see we got things back on track and I wish nothing but good for these kids. They will be the first thing I look for when I open the papers.”