Army Women's B-Ball Coach Dies At 28

[NATO AIR]

Having 2 friends at West Point and several out in Iraq & Afghanistan, I know that many soldiers took great pride in the success of West Point's team this year. Coach Dixon's tragic passing is certainly a sad moment for all of us in the military (if only Navy could have had such a coach this year.... or any year for that matter, in men's or women's competition) who take pride in seeing our compatriots succeed in the athletic arena.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=2400335

Army women's basketball coach Dixon diesAssociated Press


Army women's basketball coach Maggie Dixon, who led the Black Knights to their NCAA tournament debut last month, has died. She was 28.

Jim O'Connell, a spokesman for the Westchester County medical examiner's office, confirmed that Dixon died Thursday at 3:10 p.m. EDT. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.

Dixon was hospitalized in critical condition Thursday after suffering an "arrhythmic episode to her heart" Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy, said her older brother, Pittsburgh men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon.

Dixon said his sister collapsed and was taken to the intensive care unit of Westchester Medical Center.

"She ... went to the house of a friend for afternoon tea where she said she wasn't feeling good and she collapsed," said Dixon, who read a prepared statement from the hospital.

He said he had breakfast with his sister earlier Wednesday and that she had apparently been feeling well.

Army gave Dixon her first head coaching job last October. Six months later, she led the team to its first bid in the women's field. The rookie coach's accomplishment gained extra attention because her brother led the Panthers to the men's tournament at the same time.

The Dixons are believed to be the first brother and sister to coach in the NCAA tournament in the same year.

Army lost to No. 6 Tennessee in the first round of the tournament, 102-54.

The North Hollywood, Calif., native had hoped to play in the WNBA after graduating in 1999 from the University of San Diego. But the Los Angeles Sparks cut her after a tryout in May 2000. She went into coaching with encouragement from her brother.

"He said, 'If you want to do this coaching thing, do something drastic,' " Dixon told The Associated Press last month. "That's what I did."

She held a number of positions under DePaul coach Doug Bruno after walking into his office and introducing herself. She eventually became his top assistant in May 2004.

Members of her team were with Dixon's family members at her bedside Thursday.