** June 16, 2003
** That was the first time I met now "former Pitt Basketball Head Coach Jamie Dixon" personally.
** In the winter of that year, my organization had secured an appearance of then Head Coach Ben Howland to speak at the dinner of our charity Golf Outing. But in the spring, of course we had to go to “Plan B.”
** We re-followed our channels to see if his successor would honor Howland’s commitment. And the new Head Coach, who hadn’t yet been offered many speaking engagements, readily accepted.
** When I met with the freshly named Coach before he was to speak, he was holding some of the notes I had prepared for him – which included some contrived and perhaps awkward thoughts attempting to connect Pitt Hoops to our organizations’ mission. Politely he asked, “do you want me to talk about this? Maybe it would be better if I just talked about next year’s team.” I readily agreed that his was the better plan.
** He certainly wasn’t much of a polished speaker then, which was one of his first events appearing in this capacity. But he filled the bill nicely enough.
** After the success of the 31-win 2003-2004 season, the event committee thought it would be perfect to ask him back to speak at dinner once again. Once again, he readily accepted.
** About two weeks before the outing, I was in my office on a Saturday afternoon to catch up on some work in preparation for the event when my phone rang.
** When I answered, a slightly surprised voice said to me: “Umm Dave? It’s Jamie ... ummm ... Jamie Dixon." He asked, “What are you are you doing there on a Saturday?” I replied, “I’m getting ready for the golf event. But what are you doing calling me?” I asked. “I have the names for my foresome, but I figured I’d just leave the names on your voice mail.” I wondered to him, “Don’t you have someone who can this for you?” He just laughed.
** At the event when I met with him just before he was to speak , he asked if there was anything I wanted him to cover this time. I suggested, “maybe you can give some thoughts to those of us worried about how we’re going to replace Jaron Brown.” “I’m one of those who is worried about how we're going to replace Jaron!” he replied.
** But for this appearance, Dixon was much more comfortable and started by saying, “I was glad to speak here last year, and I guess the season went well enough that you guys asked me back. I just hope I don’t have to win 32 games next year to speak again next year.” The joked worked well!
** I had the pleasure I speaking with Jamie Dixon many, many more times over the next 12 years and each of those encounters left me with the same impression that I gathered from the first few.
** Jamie Dixon is a man who never owned the “Rock Star Ego” often found in so many Head Coaches at this level. He was a man always committed to every part of the job, and never considered himself above the process of getting it done himself. He wanted things done right, which by several definitions, was always the right way. Because of his dedication to the details of his duty, he likely wasn’t fond of the second guessing that comes with his profession. Maybe a bigger ego would have served him well in that he might not have cared so much. Regardless, as I see it, that’s Jamie Dixon.
** And because of Jamie Dixon, the last 13 years for this fan have been mostly glorious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always extremely interesting and entertaining. Before Dixon came to Pittsburgh, few even cared enough argue about Pitt Hoops. When he left, polarized as they were, many, many more had an opinion. For this, as a fan, I will always be extremely grateful for Dixon.
** As glad as I was to get to know Dixon the Man while he was here, I must be honest. So much more of my gratitude was because of Dixon the Coach.
** Because of Dixon the Coach, my memories of winning Panther Basketball grew well beyond what I would have ever expected to be possible in the days of watching teams struggle in the Fitzgerald Field House.
** Because of Dixon the Coach, I can think of the games we watched and trips my family took together over the last 13 years to see the Panthers play with the highest of expectations.
** Coaches don’t usually last at College Hoops programs for 13 years. Usually, they don’t have enough success to stay around that long. Certainly not at Pitt. But Jamie Dixon proved this possible.
** That’s how I hope all Pitt Fans will remember Dixon. I hope that they will remember that among the heartbreaks and frustrations, he brought unprecedented success to the Pitt Basketball over a long period of time.
** On top of it, we all knew Dixon wanted to do things above board, perhaps even to the extent that it may have cost him the very highest level of success. Winning is great. But winning with integrity is greater.
** But all good things, and even great things, must come to an end.
** On the shuttle to the Lahina Civic Center in November 2014, Jackie Dixon just happened to sit behind me. We had a nice conversation about our kids and what it’s like for her being the wife of a College Basketball Coach. On the way out, I was quite surprised when she said to me. “It’s going to be a tough year.”
** When coaching against Chaminade over the next two hours, Jamie Dixon appeared to be pouring more into coaching that team than at any time previously. He clearly knew then what once had come more easily now was going to be hard. Still, over the last two years, Dixon gave everything he had to his basketball team. Perhaps he even gave more than he had to give.
** Two days ago, I remarked, “I still believe the best chance to get the program back to where it was is using the abilities of the man who put it there in the first place.”
** Two days later, for whatever reason, it became clear that same man longer believed the same. That’s when it’s time to go.
** Someone I know who knows Dixon well has said to me many times. “Jamie is a creature of habit.” I can only imagine how hard it would be for a creature of habit such as Dixon decide this was a move he needed to make. But this makes me all the more certain this was the right move at the right time in the right way for all.
** Just before Jamie Dixon was named as the Head Coach of the Pitt Hoops program, there was real uncertainty that any Coach could do much at all with the brief run of success started by Ben Howland.
** March 21, 2016 is the end of the Jamie Dixon era of Pitt Basketball. On this day, we look forward to seeing how a new Head Coach can continue the success we’ve enjoyed for an incredibly long time. And we now know it’s not that much further to the top because of the work and passion of our former Head Coach.
** Thank you, Jamie Dixon.
** That was the first time I met now "former Pitt Basketball Head Coach Jamie Dixon" personally.
** In the winter of that year, my organization had secured an appearance of then Head Coach Ben Howland to speak at the dinner of our charity Golf Outing. But in the spring, of course we had to go to “Plan B.”
** We re-followed our channels to see if his successor would honor Howland’s commitment. And the new Head Coach, who hadn’t yet been offered many speaking engagements, readily accepted.
** When I met with the freshly named Coach before he was to speak, he was holding some of the notes I had prepared for him – which included some contrived and perhaps awkward thoughts attempting to connect Pitt Hoops to our organizations’ mission. Politely he asked, “do you want me to talk about this? Maybe it would be better if I just talked about next year’s team.” I readily agreed that his was the better plan.
** He certainly wasn’t much of a polished speaker then, which was one of his first events appearing in this capacity. But he filled the bill nicely enough.
** After the success of the 31-win 2003-2004 season, the event committee thought it would be perfect to ask him back to speak at dinner once again. Once again, he readily accepted.
** About two weeks before the outing, I was in my office on a Saturday afternoon to catch up on some work in preparation for the event when my phone rang.
** When I answered, a slightly surprised voice said to me: “Umm Dave? It’s Jamie ... ummm ... Jamie Dixon." He asked, “What are you are you doing there on a Saturday?” I replied, “I’m getting ready for the golf event. But what are you doing calling me?” I asked. “I have the names for my foresome, but I figured I’d just leave the names on your voice mail.” I wondered to him, “Don’t you have someone who can this for you?” He just laughed.
** At the event when I met with him just before he was to speak , he asked if there was anything I wanted him to cover this time. I suggested, “maybe you can give some thoughts to those of us worried about how we’re going to replace Jaron Brown.” “I’m one of those who is worried about how we're going to replace Jaron!” he replied.
** But for this appearance, Dixon was much more comfortable and started by saying, “I was glad to speak here last year, and I guess the season went well enough that you guys asked me back. I just hope I don’t have to win 32 games next year to speak again next year.” The joked worked well!
** I had the pleasure I speaking with Jamie Dixon many, many more times over the next 12 years and each of those encounters left me with the same impression that I gathered from the first few.
** Jamie Dixon is a man who never owned the “Rock Star Ego” often found in so many Head Coaches at this level. He was a man always committed to every part of the job, and never considered himself above the process of getting it done himself. He wanted things done right, which by several definitions, was always the right way. Because of his dedication to the details of his duty, he likely wasn’t fond of the second guessing that comes with his profession. Maybe a bigger ego would have served him well in that he might not have cared so much. Regardless, as I see it, that’s Jamie Dixon.
** And because of Jamie Dixon, the last 13 years for this fan have been mostly glorious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always extremely interesting and entertaining. Before Dixon came to Pittsburgh, few even cared enough argue about Pitt Hoops. When he left, polarized as they were, many, many more had an opinion. For this, as a fan, I will always be extremely grateful for Dixon.
** As glad as I was to get to know Dixon the Man while he was here, I must be honest. So much more of my gratitude was because of Dixon the Coach.
** Because of Dixon the Coach, my memories of winning Panther Basketball grew well beyond what I would have ever expected to be possible in the days of watching teams struggle in the Fitzgerald Field House.
** Because of Dixon the Coach, I can think of the games we watched and trips my family took together over the last 13 years to see the Panthers play with the highest of expectations.
** Coaches don’t usually last at College Hoops programs for 13 years. Usually, they don’t have enough success to stay around that long. Certainly not at Pitt. But Jamie Dixon proved this possible.
** That’s how I hope all Pitt Fans will remember Dixon. I hope that they will remember that among the heartbreaks and frustrations, he brought unprecedented success to the Pitt Basketball over a long period of time.
** On top of it, we all knew Dixon wanted to do things above board, perhaps even to the extent that it may have cost him the very highest level of success. Winning is great. But winning with integrity is greater.
** But all good things, and even great things, must come to an end.
** On the shuttle to the Lahina Civic Center in November 2014, Jackie Dixon just happened to sit behind me. We had a nice conversation about our kids and what it’s like for her being the wife of a College Basketball Coach. On the way out, I was quite surprised when she said to me. “It’s going to be a tough year.”
** When coaching against Chaminade over the next two hours, Jamie Dixon appeared to be pouring more into coaching that team than at any time previously. He clearly knew then what once had come more easily now was going to be hard. Still, over the last two years, Dixon gave everything he had to his basketball team. Perhaps he even gave more than he had to give.
** Two days ago, I remarked, “I still believe the best chance to get the program back to where it was is using the abilities of the man who put it there in the first place.”
** Two days later, for whatever reason, it became clear that same man longer believed the same. That’s when it’s time to go.
** Someone I know who knows Dixon well has said to me many times. “Jamie is a creature of habit.” I can only imagine how hard it would be for a creature of habit such as Dixon decide this was a move he needed to make. But this makes me all the more certain this was the right move at the right time in the right way for all.
** Just before Jamie Dixon was named as the Head Coach of the Pitt Hoops program, there was real uncertainty that any Coach could do much at all with the brief run of success started by Ben Howland.
** March 21, 2016 is the end of the Jamie Dixon era of Pitt Basketball. On this day, we look forward to seeing how a new Head Coach can continue the success we’ve enjoyed for an incredibly long time. And we now know it’s not that much further to the top because of the work and passion of our former Head Coach.
** Thank you, Jamie Dixon.
