Former Pitt HC Linked to USC Job

Former Pitt Panthers head coach Jamie Dixon could be heading further west.

Mar 21, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers head coach Jamie Dixon took a job closer to home when he left the program where he got his first head coaching job to go back to his alma mater of TCU and he could be on the verge of moving even closer to home this year.

Dixon, who spent 13 years leading the Panthers, is a candidate for the now vacant job at USC, accoridng to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman. He said Dixon, a native of Los Angeles County, is among the leaders, alongside Arkansas' Eric Musselman, who reportedly has a interview scheduled with the Trojans.

"Eric Musselman and Jamie Dixon appear to be the front runners," Goodman said. "Remember Jamie's from the area, LA."

This isn't the first time Dixon has been linked to the USC job. Back in 2013, he reportedly turned down an offer from the Trojans to become their head coach and instead signed a 10-year extension at Pitt.

The Panthers made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances in Dixon's 13 years at the helm. He led them to a 2008 Big East Tournament title and two more regular season titles. Pitt finished ranked in the final AP poll of the season in eight of those seasons and posted a winning percentage of .727 over those 13 years. Over the past eight seasons, Dixon has revived a dormant TCU program and led them to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including three consecutive from 2022 to this year.

BYU's Mark Pope, St. Mary's Randy Bennett and Texas A&M's Buzz Williams are also in consideration, according to Goodman, but Musselman is the leader with Dixon checking in behind him.

"Dixon, Pope and Musselman is probably at the top of that list right now," Goodman said. "And I wouldn't be surprised if Musselman is the guy at the end of the day."

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