King Dixon appointed to BOT? Are we serious?
- Thread starter Gamecockben1979
- Start date
he was an awful AD. Not as bad as Tanner but not far behind.
Remember Fig Newton and wasn't he good for Sparky, too? He was really, really bad.
This was extensively covered at the time, but Dixon did not call Felton to tell him he was fired. Felton found out by reading it in the paper. I can't forgive that kind callous incompetence - Gamecock or not.
Felton was trying to restore some prominence to SC and he was making progress. He was fired in year #5 after going 20-13. He had an overall record of 87-62. (.584) What I wouldn't give for that kind of record now.
After a 2 month coaching search, and being turned down by numerous coaches, King Dixon hired Steve Newton from Murray State. We know how that turned out.
As I remember, years ago we had our choice of accepting a bid to the Liberty Bowl (Memphis) or Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
The payouts were about equal but good old King put us in Memphis.
Felton's drinking problem did him in, which sucked because he was a good coach who cared about his players. I had no problem with it but Dixon, being the ass that he is, did. Steve Newton was a disaster. What a terrible choice.
Oh, I agree with you. We, like they, needed to be located away from the state capital. The lawmakers have made the University part of their fiefdom.
Perhaps it’s temporary in the sense that he’s auditioning for a return as the AD. 
There's a difference between being sharp and making smart decisions. Of course I've never been accused of either.
If anything his time as AD has earned him a token spot on the Clemson BOT, not ours.
Fig Newton & Sparky. He’s a good guy but so is Mr Rodgers. Doesn’t mean I want him on the board.
Well, in King’s defense, he is no longer the worst AD that we have had.
He frequented Five Points, and there was a DUI at the beach, but to my knowledge he was not an alcoholic. Even if he was you try to get someone like that help - you don't fire them. King Dixon just didn't like him because he was a yankee and felt like George was insubordinate because he didn't say "yes sir" when King told him to reign it in at Five Points.
Ray Tanner is a better AD than King Dixon. But that is more of an indictment of King Dixon than a compliment to Ray Tanner.
He was the BOT from the 8th Circuit which is comprised of Greenwood, Laurens, Abbeville, and Newberry. He was from Greenwood and was a retired Accountant.
As I remember, he turned down TWO Independence Bowl invites because they overlapped with exams. Incompetence underscored.
I blame it on the University of South Carolina were bad decisions are tradition.
Disagree. Dixon wasn’t responsible for buyouts and extensions like this.
We did not offer larg
Nor multi million dollar salary levels to coaches no one else would hire
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
There were a couple GCC events where his drinking got the best of him, as well.
King Dixon became AD with little background for the job and at a difficult time given the steroid scandal. A destined to fail Holderman appointee, who made a lot of bad decisions, set our basketball program way back.
Felton was fired May 14th 1991, and got a DUI in June 1991, just to be fair
Dixon, had served a few weeks as interim athletic director, before getting the gig, replacing Dick Bestwick, who stepped down for health reasons after six months on the job. Bestwick had replaced Bob Marcum, who was fired when an internal university investigation found the school's athlete drug-testing program was a sham.
John Palms let him go in 1992, for Mike McGee, who was at So Cal, Dixon made $102K a year back then.
Cut & Paste from a old David Newton articl
USC was invited to join the Southeastern Conference during Dixon’s tenure, although insiders say interim USC President Art Smith was the catalyst. Dixon has been a major force behind expanding Williams-Brice Stadium and developing a master plan for all athletic facilities. Dixon also has drawn his share of criticism. In 1989, he said The Rolling Stones could not play at Williams-Brice Stadium because the then-swaying upper deck was not safe for such an activity. The statement he’s perhaps most associated with - “it might open the door to tractor pulls and those kind of things” - was made during negotiations. Last year was especially tough on Dixon. He drew fire for the handling of the dismissal of basketball coach George Felton in May. Felton learned of his dismissal from a reporter May 13. After reading it in the newspaper the next morning, Felton called Dixon and asked for an explanation. Dixon told Felton he would see him at a scheduled 1 p.m. meeting in which Felton expected to discuss the future of the program and a con tract extension. The ensuing 57-day search for a replacement, headed by Dixon, was criticized nationally.
Also tried to eliminate the softball program and got into issues with Tittle 9, another stain on his record.
Felton was fired May 14th 1991, and got a DUI in June 1991, just to be fair
Dixon, had served a few weeks as interim athletic director, before getting the gig, replacing Dick Bestwick, who stepped down for health reasons after six months on the job. Bestwick had replaced Bob Marcum, who was fired when an internal university investigation found the school's athlete drug-testing program was a sham.
John Palms let him go in 1992, for Mike McGee, who was at So Cal, Dixon made $102K a year back then.
Cut & Paste from a old David Newton articl
USC was invited to join the Southeastern Conference during Dixon’s tenure, although insiders say interim USC President Art Smith was the catalyst. Dixon has been a major force behind expanding Williams-Brice Stadium and developing a master plan for all athletic facilities. Dixon also has drawn his share of criticism. In 1989, he said The Rolling Stones could not play at Williams-Brice Stadium because the then-swaying upper deck was not safe for such an activity. The statement he’s perhaps most associated with - “it might open the door to tractor pulls and those kind of things” - was made during negotiations. Last year was especially tough on Dixon. He drew fire for the handling of the dismissal of basketball coach George Felton in May. Felton learned of his dismissal from a reporter May 13. After reading it in the newspaper the next morning, Felton called Dixon and asked for an explanation. Dixon told Felton he would see him at a scheduled 1 p.m. meeting in which Felton expected to discuss the future of the program and a con tract extension. The ensuing 57-day search for a replacement, headed by Dixon, was criticized nationally.
Also tried to eliminate the softball program and got into issues with Tittle 9, another stain on his record.
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I always thought that KD was kind of a rubberhead who was in way over his head as AD. But this appointment is incredibly temporary, and it's nothing to get our panties in a wad over.
It just allows the Chicken Littles to chirp a little louder.
Brad is busy recruiting for USF. Taters could hurt losing their chief in-house recruiter. It could not happen to a better school.
George Felton was the right man for the job in Columbia.
He may be a wonderful human being but absolutely sucked as an AD and set the Athletics Dept. back years. Glad it is a temp assignment.
