Tuesday, March 23, 1999

UH assistant Dixon
leaves for Pitt

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Hawaii men's basketball coach Riley Wallace called Jamie Dixon "potentially one of the top recruiters in the country" in parting with his assistant coach of one year.

Dixon, 33, has left Hawaii to accept the associate head basketball coach's job at the University of Pittsburgh.

"I knew two weeks ago that there was a chance he would get the job but I found out about it Friday," said Wallace, who was in California yesterday on a recruiting trip. Wallace will go to the NCAA Final Four in St. Petersburg, Fla., before returning to Hawaii.

Wallace said Dixon and assistant coach Jackson Wheeler had a lot to do with lining up recruits who will sign letters of intent next month.

"And he recruited just for us," said Wallace, pointing out that Dixon did not steer anyone to Pittsburgh while working for Hawaii.

"And he has continued to help us."