The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
Dixon exits Oakland for Alma Mater
“Disgraced” play exposes internal biases Online March 22, 2016 | Issue 126 | Volume 106 Jamie Dixon at his introductory press conference in 2003. |Pitt News File Photo
Pitt head basketball coach Jamie Dixon is leaving the Panthers to take over at his alma mater, Texas Christian University Dan Sostek Sports Editor
For Pitt and men’s basketball head coach Jamie Dixon, the 2015-2016 season was unlucky No. 13. After 13 seasons at the helm, Dixon has accepted an offer from Texas Christian University — his alma mater — to become its new head coach, Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes announced at a press conference Monday. Dixon finished his career with a 328-123 mark. He has coached at the University since 1999, starting as an assistant coach and eventually earning a promotion to head coach following the departure of Ben Howland in 2003. Dixon played basketball at TCU from 1984-1987. The head coach met with his players Monday afternoon to inform them of his decision, though Barnes revealed initial discussions between himself and Dixon about the coach’s future started “in recent weeks.” Under then-Athletic Director Steve Pederson, Dixon signed a contract extension in 2013 that ran until 2023, with an undisclosed buyout attached.
Barnes described that number as “as big of a buyout as I’ve ever seen in the marketplace.” According to Barnes, the University agreed to negotiate the total down to facilitate a deal, noting that Dixon clearly wanted to return to his alma mater. “We softened that buyout because, again, where his heart and his head was was at TCU,” Barnes said. “And because of that, it wouldn’t have been good for our program and our student athletes or him and his family to hold him hostage by what was a way-beyond-market buyout.” Barnes added that despite decreasing the amount, the school still managed to “take care of [its] fiduciary responsibilities.” During his tenure at Pitt, Dixon earned numerous accolades, including the Naismith College Coach of the Year in 2009, the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year in 2010 and the Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year in 2011. He won two regular season Big East conference titles in 2004 and 2011 and
a Big East To u r nament championship in 2008. Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher released a statement regarding Dixon’s decision, thanking the coach for his 17 years of service. “He was a great leader who cared deeply for our student-athletes and our entire basketball program,” Gallagher said
i n the r e lease. “I can appreciate that the rare chance of coaching for your alma mater does not come up very often and is hard to pass up, but we will miss him here at Pitt. We wish him the best, and we now turn our attention to advancing our gram, building on the solid foundation See Dixon on page 7