Today there was a long article about Coach Jamie Dixon and the success of his sister, Maggie, head coach for the Army’s women’s basketball team. At only 28 she moved from an assistant on the DePaul team to a head coach job.
Dixon’s big brother always has had the answers to her questions about basketball, careers, relationships, about life in general. That’s just the type of relationship the two have had as long as either can remember.
And, when it comes to navigating choppy waters as a young coach, her big brother has some expertise. Maggie Dixon, in her first season as the head women’s coach at the U.S. Military Academy (Army), is the younger sister of Pitt men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon, who has had a large hand in building the Panthers into one of the best programs in the Big East, if not the country.
“We fell to 5-7 with back-to-back losses earlier this year and I was starting to wonder what I had gotten into,” said Maggie Dixon. “I really was searching, and I called Jamie to get some advice. He just told me to remain confident, to stick to my principles and the things I believe in and to keep my head up.
“He also told me something that has stuck with me ever since. He said, ‘Focus on the positive, build your players up, don’t look to tear down.’ That’s how he has always approached things, and I found that to be very helpful.”
Coach Jamie Dixon after seemingly answering all questions raised from last year is facing them anew with Pitt’s recent losses. Coach Dixon doesn’t blame individual players. He talks about the team making mistakes or not doing things right.
I think the one issue that is fair criticism is that he fails to take the actual responsibility. He doesn’t personally and explicitly take the blame when trying to deflect it from the players.
I wasn’t much of the opinion that Dixon was at fault for the Seton Hall loss. Seton Hall players just played better than Pitt, and that Pitt played flat too much of the game is frustrating. Considering, though, that the team (even in the other losses this season) hasn’t played that flat before it hardly seems like a trend or something to blame Dixon.
After the game, however, Dixon needed to at least say something to the effect that he bears the responsibility for the way the team played or didn’t get them prepared enough. Even if it gives his critics something else to harp upon. You can’t absolve everyone. He used the same tactic after last season and it was incredibly annoying.
Blame, whether deserved or not, will get placed somewhere.
In coaching notes, this story on the chaos and confusion of the Missouri basketball program notes where the coaching search appears to be focused:
Missouri has not yet — but probably soon will — employ an outside consultant to allow the school to make contact with possible coaching candidates.
A search/screening committee has been formed to examine those candidates. That committee will be comprised of Alden and associate athletic director Mario Moccia from the MU athletic department, Mike Middleton (deputy UMC chancellor and law professor), Link and Jon Sundvold, former MU basketball star and Columbia businessman.
Recent developments — such as Texas A&M and its boosters preparing to sweeten the deal to keep Billy Gillispie as head coach — have changed the early speculation surrounding MU’s vacancy. Sources told The Star that representatives of MU’s interest will attend the Big East and Conference USA tournaments. John Calipari of Memphis and Mike Anderson of Alabama-Birmingham are the draws for the C-USA event. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and West Virginia coach John Beilein are the attractions at the Big East.
It would appear that there is still plenty of interest in Dixon, despite recent games. As much as there is some desire to take a wait-and-see attitude towards how much and long to extend Dixon’s contract, Pitt may need to make a decision sooner than it would like.
This is especially true considering Associate Head Coach Barry Rohrssen — the guy everyone assumes would get the gig if Dixon leaves — has expressed an interest in the very soon to be open Duquesne job.
“(Rohrssen) would be great,” said Jay Bilas, a college basketball analyst for ESPN. “If they can get him.”
Assistant coaches or interim head coaches from Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East and Big Ten schools are being linked to the job, which became available when Nee offered his resignation Friday.
…
Here are some of the other coaches with logical ties to the opening:
Ohio State’s John Groce, a second-year assistant under Thad Matta, is believed to be the early front-runner. Groce, 33, worked as an assistant for four years at Xavier under Matta when Amodio was there. Groce also coached under Penn Hills native Herb Sendek at N.C. State in the late 1990s.
North Carolina State associate head coach Larry Harris, a former Pitt star and Duquesne assistant coach, is a 10th-year coach under Sendek. Harris was an assistant at Duquesne in 1986-93 and is regarded as one of the elite recruiters in the ACC.
Cincinnati’s Andy Kennedy replaced Bob Huggins this summer, and still has the interim tag next to his name. Kennedy is a well-regarded recruiter and has a large Bearcat fan support, but the former UAB assistant is not expected to be retained.
Jeff Battle, 44, is an assistant at Wake Forest under former Xavier coach Skip Prosser. Battle, in his seventh year at Wake Forest, was an assistant at Xavier when Amodio was there.
Other programs looking for a coach include Indiana, Missouri and Rutgers and there are surely more to come.
You can cross Andy Kennedy off the list. Early rumors have him at Mississippi (also looking for a new coach) or even UAB if the coach there gets lured away. Kennedy is too big for the Duquesne job.
Plenty of question marks about Rohrssen, but he is well liked by the administration and supporters at Pitt. His recruiting acumen is also highly coveted. Plus, given his lack of coaching experience, he could come relatively cheap initially.
