As the Wildcats gear up for another season of women’s hoops, they’ll be boasting a new assistant coach on the sidelines. Northwestern welcomed Sam Dixon to the fold last May, immediately bolstering the coaching staff’s credentials. Dixon spent time as an academic, defensive and conditioning coordinator at Akron, and previously coached the Furman Paladins to a healthy 52-34 record in eight seasons. Dixon also has international experience under his belt, having served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s U20 and U21 teams.
North by Northwestern caught up with Dixon to talk about season expectations, personnel adjustments and the joys of moving to a campus near Chicago.
You’re coming over to a relatively high-profile Big Ten program, situated right next to one of the biggest cities in the country. How has the transition been so far?
It’s been excellent. I’ve really grown with the idea of coaching at academic schools. I’ve been at Davidson, I’ve been at Furman, and it’s really exciting to continue that growth in terms of working with high-caliber student athletes. They epitomize what college basketball should be all about.
You’ve spent time as a head coach and have occupied many other roles in your career. How has the transition been to becoming an assistant coach?
Well, I always thought that as a head coach you make decisions, and as an assistant coach you make suggestions. So I continue to make suggestions with the thought of, “When I was a head coach, what would I think? How can I help this head coach to make his job easier?” I was an assistant a heck of a lot longer than I was a head coach, so the transition has really been pretty easy and pretty comfortable. It’s just coaching the game, and I like teaching.
You seem to be a very vocal leader during practice. What do you think of the team chemistry? Have you found your role within Joe McKeown’s staff yet?
Well, yeah, I think that I’m an extension of coach McKeown, and we have great, great young ladies who work hard and listen well. They try to do the best that they can with everything that we ask of them, and it’s my job to encourage them and teach them and help them grow with the game and off the court with whatever other responsibilities they can handle. Our team chemistry is very, very good. They’ve welcomed me with open arms, so it’s really been exciting to work with them every day.
In Furman, you had a team with a winning record. Now, you come over to Northwestern to a team that’s struggled at the end of seasons for a while now. Last year, the Wildcats were just 4-12 against the Big Ten. How do you see a transformation of cultures occurring here?
Well, I think we’re growing every day and getting better every day. Last year, you must realize that you lost an All-American candidate (in senior center Amy Jaeschke), so there was an adjustment period. I think right now we have excellent senior leadership with Kendall Hakney, Kate Popovec, Dannielle Diamant and Inesha Hale. They’ve been through the wars, you know, and they’re gonna help the young people grow. We’re gonna build this thing together, and there’s a wonderful opportunity for each and every one of them.
Going off of senior leadership, Northwestern also has some impressive recruits coming in, including Maggie Lyon and Lauren Douglas. What have you seen in their adjustments to the next level thus far?
They’re growing every day. They’re learning what the college game is all about, like the demands of being a student athlete at a caliber school like Northwestern, and they’re getting better each and every day. It’s exciting to see their growth. They’re great people, hard workers, they listen well and do the best job they can.
In Akron, you had some teams that excelled on the perimeter, most notably with 2009 NCAA 3-Point Shooting Champion Melissa Liebschwager. Do you think this is a strong outside team? Are you trying to bring that style of play over here?
I think we have good balance. Coach McKeown’s philosophy is to play inside and out, and we have some excellent people who have the potential to be good 3-point shooters. Maggie Lyon has proven herself, Meghan McKeown is an excellent 3-point shooter, Dannielle Diamant is a good 3-point shooter. I think we have to choose our shots, make sure we’re open. When you get open shots, that’s an accomplishment for all five players on the court, because that means you executed well.
What has the team’s mindset been as non-conference play approaches?
Well, your mindset at that time is to grow every day and get better, get yourself ready and play lineups to see what works and what doesn’t work. Basketball is a game of adjustments, so we’ll continue to work at things and figure out what our team does well. As [Kentucky men’s head] Coach [John] Calipari says, “coach your team.” That’s the only people we can coach.
On a lighter note, what’s your favorite part of Chicago so far?
Everything. I love Chicago, I love everything about it. The skyline, the water, the restaurants, the opportunity for pro sports, you know, it’s great to be back almost in the city. I was at Northern Illinois outside the city, but it’s exciting to be back.
In terms of student body and campus size, this is one of the biggest schools you’ve ever coached at. What vibe have you gotten from NU so far?
Oh, it’s been excellent. I think that the excitement around football has really captivated my attention to what the potential is for the student body to support athletics. That’s really been eye-opening and exciting, and it’s been a great honor and privilege to be here so far.