After spending 22 years at the helm of the St. Thomas University men's basketball team, Dwight Dickinson will retire following the 2014-15 season.

The decision didn't come easily, but Dickinson felt the timing was right.

"I'm not as young as I used to be and 42 years of practice every night, games on the weekends, and travelling has worn me down a bit," he said. "The job now is a full-time job, and I feel I would let the program down if I stayed and I don't want to do that."

One of the longest serving men's basketball coaches in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association, Dickinson has seen his fair share of success with the green and gold?seven ACAA championships, four ACAA Coach of the Year nods, and eight national tournament appearances that resulted in a silver medal finish in 2003-04 and a bronze medal in 2011-12.

The highlight of Dickinson's 22-year coaching career with the Tommies was watching his 2003-04 and 2011-12 teams experience success on the national stage.

"Being in the national final out in BC?that feeling?you want to repeat it and we did repeat it with a bronze just three years ago," he said. "To see the excitement when Corey Delong hit that shot to carry us into the final, and then we win the final. That group of boys and being a part of that, that's a highlight for a coach, to see his team being able to experience that."

St. Thomas Athletic Director Michael Eagles said it's hard to put into words how much Dickinson has brought to the university and the men's basketball team.

"His coaching and his leadership would give him success coaching any age, sport or level. The respect that he receives from his athletes is incredible and I feel very fortunate to have been able to get to know and work with him," Eagles said.

"The University and the athletes who played for him were privileged. He will retire with a tremendous body of work and one in which he should be very proud."

Prior to coming to St. Thomas, Dickinson spent seven years coaching men's basketball at MacAdam High School before moving onto Fredericton High School, where he stayed for 15 years.

On top of coaching at the high school and university level, Dickinson led various Basketball New Brunswick teams from 1993-2002. His best-ever result came in 2000 when New Brunswick brought home a bronze medal and Dickinson was given the Nike National Tournament Coach's Award.

"Coaching has been fun for me and that's because of the players. That's what I am really proud of," he said. "I had the pleasure of watching many teams come out, run up and down the court, and win games."

Moving forward, Dickinson hopes the Tommies men's basketball program will continue to grow and be successful.

"I hope the game grows and I hope that we lifted the game," he said. "When I came here there were no banners on the wall. None. We found two from the previous coach, so we put those up, but now the wall is full and not just from basketball."

Although he says there's no free time in retirement, Dickinson is looking forward to spending more time with his family and travelling with his wife, Ruth.