Dr. Sam Dixon returns for his second year with The University of Akron women's basketball program this fall. Prior to joining the Zips in 2010, he spent the previous eight seasons as the head coach at Furman University.

On the Zips' staff, Dixon serves as the team's academic, conditioning and defensive coordinator as well as oversees junior college and international recruiting efforts. Dixon also acts as the position coach for the team's power forwards and centers and assist with the program's overall recruiting, scouting and game preparation duties.

"I am very happy to announce the addition of Dr. Sam Dixon to our Akron basketball family," said UA head coach Jodi Kest said at the time of Dixon's hiring. "He brings a wealth of experience and will be an immediate asset to our program. Sam is well known and respected in our profession and, as a previous head coach, will provide great leadership and communication skills to our young ladies. We are very fortunate to have Sam join our Akron community."

Dixon, whose Furman coaching tenure marked the second longest in the history of the school's women's basketball program, compiled a 102-136 record, including a 63-89 Southern Conference mark.

Dixon is no stranger to the Mid-American Conference and Northeast Ohio as the native of Peoria, Ill., served as an assistant on the men's basketball staff at Northern Illinois from 1991-95 and Kent State in 1984-85 as part of an extensive college coaching career that began in 1981.

In his first three years at Furman, Dixon led the Paladins to a 52-34 record overall, including a 38-20 mark in SoCon play. During that span, he coached a SoCon Player of the Year, guard DeShara Shealey (2003), six first team All-SoCon performers, including two-time honoree guard Lee Stephens, who recently finished her career as the school's eighth all-time leading scorer (1,267 points), and 2009 NCAA 3-Point Shooting Champion, Melissa Liebschwager.

In addition, 49 Furman women's basketball players garnered SoCon Academic Honor Roll accolades during his tenure, including a program record nine selections for the 2003-04 season.

During his time at Furman, Dixon also served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball U20 and U21 World Championship teams. In the summer of 2006, he helped the U20 team to a victory over previously undefeated Brazil to capture the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City. The following year, he helped guide the U21 squad to a gold medal in Moscow with a victory over Australia.

Before landing at Furman, Dixon served as an assistant coach at Clemson (2000-02) and Arizona (1999). In fact, in his four years as a women's assistant coach, all four teams earned berths in the NCAA Tournament, including the 1998-99 Arizona Wildcats, who posted an 18-11 record with a 12-6 mark in the PAC-10.

In addition to coaching men's teams at NIU and KSU, Dixon also worked with men's programs at New Mexico (1996-97), Davidson (1986-87) and Northern Kentucky (1981-84). He was also the head men's basketball coach and golf coach at Denison University from 1988-91.

A 1979 physical education graduate of the College of Wooster, Dixon played four years for the Fighting Scots and in 1976 helped the team reach the NCAA South Regional finals. As a student-athlete he earned first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference accolades in 1979, and was the team's most valuable player. A 1989 inductee into the Wooster College Hall of Fame, Dixon was also named All-Great Lakes Region and earned third team All-America status.

Dixon went on to earn a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1980 and a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1997.