Pitt Panther Prowl

Jamie the Loyal

If Jamie Dixon were a knight, Jamie the Loyal might well be the name he went by.  Andy Katz has a nice article on ESPN.com detailing the loyalty of Dixon to the Pitt program, and giving a significant list of statistical accomplishments that should remind us why we should be so proud of Dixon as our coach.

Of all the reason to like Jamie Dixon, and there are many, it is his loyalty to the University of Pittsburgh and to Pitt fans that have caused me to respect and admire him so much.  Sure he has a great winning percentage, he has had great success in the Big East Tournament, and he runs a squeaky clean program.  And sure there are reasons to criticize him, such as the lack of 5 star recruiting, the inability to make it past the Sweet 16, and the lack of Pitt players in the NBA.

All said in done, the attractive thing about Jamie Dixon is that, in an era where coaches are looking to build a resume to make a jump to a better place, Dixon has shown great commitment and loyalty to Pitt, never giving the impression that he wanted a better job.  And furthermore, never seriously contemplating other jobs, even when he was offered (or at least considered, before shutting them down immediately) some, such as Indiana, that historically would be seen as better programs.

From Katz’s article:

“He is so loyal to us and if there are three to five suitors every year, that would not surprise me at all,” Nordenberg said. “He doesn’t dangle that in front of us and doesn’t advertise it or try to take advantage of it.”

“Every time his name circulates with a job, Jamie shuts things down fast,” said athletic director Steve Pederson, back for his second stint as AD.

And again:

Loyalty at this level, in any sport, is unique. Chasing the big bucks is more the norm, but what has changed over Dixon’s five-year tenure is how much Pitt has become a destination job. No longer is there a reason to run with Pitt arguably one of the premier jobs in the Big East, which makes it one of the top gigs in the country.

We know how unique loyalty is.  It was Dixon’s predecessor, Ben Howland, who jumped at the first opportunity to go to a better school.  That stung most of us.  But Dixon has taken that sting away, and for me anyway, taken away much of the legacy of Ben Howland by forging his own as a rookie head coach.

Rumor after rumor abounds every year that Jamie Dixon is off to somewhere else.  Though there never seems to be so much as an interview.  Supposedly he was going to bolt for the Cal job this year, because everyone knows he is from Cali and can’t wait to go back there; everyone, that is, except for those of us who have listened as he has repeatedly said that Pittsburgh is his and his family’s home, and that he has no intentions of leaving.

I am not naive enough to think that Dixon could never be lured away or will never leave.  There are so many variables that can’t be predicted.  A new AD that he doesn’t get along with; whiny fans who consistently call for him to be fired, despite his continued success; the feeling that he has reached a ceiling at Pitt… who knows.  He may not spend 35 years at Pitt.  But he certainly never gives the impression that he is looking to leave, or even that we should be worried about the next opening that will be dangled in front of his face.

The following quote by Jerry Cochran really puts into perspective how unique Dixon is and how lucky Pitt is to have him:

“He’s not looking for stardom, to increase the size of his bank account. I’m quite pleased to say he’s an exception to the rule.”

If you are a Pitt fan and you don’t think we are lucky to have Jamie Dixon, consider a few things.  Look what Kelvin Sampson did to Indiana.  We could have ended up with a coach like that.  Now, Tom Crean is there, having eight scholarship players from last year either declared for the draft or removed from the team.  And then there is Bob Huggins.  Huggins is a good coach, no doubt.  And if he can stay clear of problems, he will have WVU competing at a high level year in and year out.  But after signing a 10+ year contract extension, all the news is about how it has a clause telling him not to drink and coach.  WVU says that it is standard in all contracts, and that may be.  However, it is being made newsworthy because of the embarrassment Bob Huggins’ drinking brought upon the Cincinnati basketball program.

So many schools sell their souls to win.  They will hire disgraced coaches; recruit players of questionable character (Ralph Willard anyone?); throw as much money as possible to try to lure coaches away from top jobs (Oklahoma St. anyone?); or just have complete jerks (John Calipari?) as coaches (though I guess that isn’t exactly a crime).

Even if Dixon never wins a national championship at Pitt, I am happy to have a coach I can be proud of, running a clean program that I can be proud of, knowing that the coach isn’t looking for the first chance to upgrade to the next best thing to come along.  Jamie the Loyal is a fitting name.  And to him, I pledge my allegiance.