Chesterfield Alum Hired to Football Post
Chesterfield High has hired a former player and alum, Nick Dixon, to head up its football program.
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Chesterfield – Looking for more stability in what has been a revolving door, Chesterfield High has hired a former player and alum to head up its football program.
Nick Dixon, a 2007 graduate and former quarterback in the Rams program, was hired earlier this spring to bring a consistent voice for the program. Dixon is the third head coach in four years and while others left for greener pastures, Dixon plans to be in it for the long haul.
“This is home for me, whether I’m the head coach or not, this is home,” said Dixon, who has been an assistant in the program since 2018. “I am so thankful to be given this opportunity to lead this program. We are going to give everything we’ve got to make us as competitive as we can be.”
Dixon played quarterback for the 2006 Chesterfield team that advanced to the state finals under coach Steve Taneyhill. A one-point loss ended that season and the Rams went on to win three consecutive state championships over the next three years.
“Me and the other seniors on that 2006 team laid the foundation for the next group so I am very proud to have been a part of that success,” Dixon said.
After attending Newberry College as a quarterback, Dixon finished as an outside linebacker, which allowed him to learn about the defensive side of football. The experience gained as both an offensive and defensive player set the stage for his eventual coaching career.
Dixon also had previous coaching stops at McBee and Hannah-Pamplico before matriculating back to Chesterfield.
“This is where I always hoped I would be,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from a lot of great coaches along the way and I’m excited to put my spin on things.”
Dixon feels strongly that relationships with the community and families will be the foundation for success.
“It is some important that our community is proud of their football program and I want to bring our players and community together,” Dixon said. “If we can do things to make our community proud, they will give us all the support that we need to be successful.
Dixon has brought in several other former players, both as volunteers and paid, to serve the program in some capacity. He says about 14 of the17 coaches are Chesterfield graduates.
“I felt it was important to have guys that played here and have the same love for the program as I do,” Dixon said. “Our kids can relate to these guys and our coaches can relay what it takes to win to those kids. We want to build all of our programs into competitive winners, on and off the field.”
