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Dixon 'delig * Editor's note: Sports editor Kevin Adams asked the following questions in an exclusive interview with USC interim athletic director Albert "King" Dixon Jr. Dixon was named to that post Oct. 3, when former athletic director Dick Bestwick requested a leave of absence because of health problems. What was your first official act as athletic director? My first priority, of course, was to work with the administration, to see what we could do as a staff in support of Dick Bestwick and his family ? that was our first concern. As far as my first official act, it was to come down here (last) Monday afternoon after a hastily-called press conference, to be interviewed by the press. What are your immediate short-range goals for the athletic department? - -* Whether you have 20 or 25 years experience in sports 1 *-* in thp Hon . I tUinl, auiiiiimirauoii ui ?' i,,v u^pai inicui, i miun. mc number one thing, priority wise, would be to meet the people you are working with, because they're the ones that really make it go. Two, is to take a look at the organizational structure, once you meet the people, and find out who is responsible for what. Third, is to take a look at the ongoing programs as to where we are. And of course there were several significant things that were going on that Dick Bestwick had been working with for six months, and there was some degree of implementation of those. Those particular areas were the areas that I had been primarily devoting most of my time. What about long-range goals? ! My long-range goal as we move toward 2001, the 200th birthday of this great university of ours, would be that, not only would we rank as one of the top 10 university ; systems of education within the United States, but also that we would rank in the top 10 across the board in our athletic programs, and that by doing this, we would have tremendous quality student-athletes who look forward to competing in a very fine program, and who can live up to these high standards that we will be having for our young men and women. How did you find the condition of the athletic department when you came in? I am grateful that Dick Bestwick was here for the time that he was. Dick brought with him many years of sports administration and many years of working with student -11 . A UrtA r\nt in .1 /->f nut auuei.es anu ii?? " ui was 111 uie ting in place, some fine programs. I found that the staff is a tremendous, well-dedicated, professional staff. I found probably the best coaching staff and some of the best facilities that you will find in this country. Now it's a matter of what we do with it, and that's our challenge. Was the move made strictly because of Best wick's health problems? Dick Bestwick, I have been told, has a health problem. To what extent, I don't know what it was. Coach Bestwick asked, upon the advice of his doctors, that he be given six months medical leave of absence from the athletic department, and as such a time that he was able to come back to the university that he be reassigned. That floored me. . . that he asked to be reassigned. When I say that floored me, I knew that Dick, as we all do sometimes, had some type of health problem. I was not aware of the extent of that, but obviously it is in his best interest that he made that request and, certainly, we at the university moved quickly to honor that request, and we're just grateful that Coach Bestwick will be returning to the university, reporting directly to the president and be involved in the athletic administration and the help of the student-athletes in our nine-campus system. " ~ *, ragHMBj THE LEADER IN DIGITAL AUDIO 1PONTIAC mAM j, \ BREEZE ITsm/th data systems ' SUNKAASStSBv BAUSCH ? LOMB lr?f worlds finest sungMsi I I ^ . 1 \ ;hted' with ai "My long-range goal as we move toward 2001, the 200th birthday of this great university of ours, would be that, not only would we rank as one of the top 10 university systems of education within the United States, but also that we would rank in the top 10 across the board in our athletic programs.'' Albert "King" Dixon, USC interim Athletic Director It's been said there are some open dates on USC schedules in the early 1990s. Is this true, and if so, how are you going about filling those openings? Primarily, this is in the area of football. Of course, when you take a look at your revenue sports, football and basketball, it's imperative that you schedule as far in advance that you can, because you're building a schedule that you're comfortable with for your football program ? it's your major source of revenue, but it's also your major source of expense, so you're looking at distance of traveling and so forth, and that's the same thing across the board that you look at in the many non-revenue sports that we're in, and we're taking a good look at that. So we had some holes that we thought needed shoring up, starting in the mid '90s, and Coach Sterling Brown, who came on in July, has been spending a great deal of time, about three days a week, making a lot of phone calls, and looking around the country, trying to develop alternatives. Ot course, these things are coordinated very closely with Joe Morrison. We like to present Coach Joe with the options and get the feedback from him. Do you have any one trait that you feel qualifies you for this job? I leel as though I have been bought up in a t'adition of values. My dad used to tell mc " i.A'hen the bell rings, be prepared to answer it, whatever it may be." I leel as though serving 22 years and working with the finest young men in the world, the United States Marines, that you learn the real value of discipline and leadership. While in the marine corps I played football and I was athletic officer twice. I've scheduled football games in advance and started football for the marine corps after they gave it up in the Vietnam War. I have many friends in the coaching ranks- both college and professional. I think you put the communicative skills, managerial skills, leadership skills together. Do you feel that you are the man to bring integrity and stability to this athletic department? I would hope to bring that, and 1 will do everything that 1 possibly can to affect that end. What's your position on drug-testing? We have a very fine program. This is one of my major areas of concern. There is a great responsibility, that not only the athletic director, but the coaches in high school and college have with our student-athletes of today. We have a program, and I am so happy that I find this program in place, that came in place in August of this year. It's our Wellness, Alcohol, Development, and Health Program, and I fully support this program, which is educational and preventive in nature. It is not one that is a negative-type program, and one that you are looking for punitive action. I believe that student athletes need to know and be well aware of what can happen when one t |jj; 5 ? ? I -S| mi?y^: u ? "?Hlfe MMBH K Jfc I f^^H 1 1^ i miERsJWU J BR0B6HT TO October 1! |RUSSELL HOI \Tickets $3.0 $5.0 P R O D U i thletic direct abuses alcohol and abuses drugs. I very much believe in counseling, and I'm very much into helping share the knowledge that's available to society today about the abuse of these drugs. We are really concerned over continuing to develop a program of education and one of counseling. Supposedly Bestwick did not have a strong personal relationship with Joe Morrison or George Felton. Will that be a problem for you? If that's the case, I was not aware of that. Joe Morrison is a tremendous football coach and George Felton is a tremendous basketball coach and student of the game. Both are friends. I look forward to working with them and supporting them, and I hope that we're all here on the 2001 team. I really mean that, because that's the way this university is going, and we need to provide the continuity in our sports program across the board, in character development, as well as win-loss records. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Coach Joe and Coach George are the type of people that I can relate to, and I certainly will work with them in every way that I possibly can. I think the problem will be how can I support them more rather than looking for support from them. We're one team, and we're going to make it a great one. Describe your relationship with Dr. Holderman. The reason that I am at USC is because Jim Holderman asked me to come to the university to use what he considered were my talents and my leadership to help move our university to the year 2001.1 jumped at it. He's a man of vision. He's an aggressive person. He's a man who has a vision for this university to work hand-in-glove with the Columbia community, with our state, with this nation, and even internationally. I consider him a friend, and I hope that our relationship will last until we realize those goals and objectives that we've established. When you played for the Gamecocks in the late '50s, did you ever see yourself returning to the school in this position? I had hoped that some day I would have the opportunity to return to the university. And of course it was always in the back of my mind to be the athletic director, but as the years nave gone by, and when 1 came down as associate vice-president for alumni affairs and Dick Bestwick was here, I just wanted to be available to serve wherever President Holderman wanted me to serve. It just so happened, as a matter of fate, and I regret the situation that occurred, but I am absolutely delighted to be at Rex Enright Athletic Center in this position at this time. When you were hired as assistant vice-president for alumni affairs, were there any guarantees that there would be an athletic position in your future? No, none whatsoever. It never came up. It absolutely did not. In March, you were not an applicant for the vacant athletic director's position. Why did you accept the position now? I was not looking for a job (in March). However, if Jim Holderman had wanted to interview me for this particular job, then I would have looked forward to that interview. (I took the job now because) Jim Holderman asked me to take the job. Bestwick was said to be working as much as 20 hours a day. Obviously, that was a strain on his health. How will you keep the same thing from happening to you? I think a lot of that is temperament. You're blessed by the Lord with good health and some things happen some time which you have no control over. My work habits are to work with the staff. We have very highly qualified, professional, aggressive folks, not only "bit the coaching staff, but also in our professional staff. I am going to sup 1^1 > l ! m Igl hE|^B:; +* 1 ' I ?jgngB^HB| VC^-^H^H ilJ Ijrim YOU BY AT&T " ** 'J N+U -? A A /:uu pm USE BALLROOM 0 Student With I.D. 0 Pub!L4$^lr CEO BY \_Jb/ or position King Dixon port and let our folks work. They know the job to do and my job is to coordinate it and to make sure we're all working together as a team. I realize after 22 years in the marine corps, you need to develop those work habits where you do not get too emotionally or physically involved, or it will break your health. I certainly hope that I have learned a lot over the years and that I have learned a lesson from that. Bestwick reorganized the department pretty dramatically when he came here. Are you pleased with those changes, and do you plan your own reorganization? I do not know what the organization was before Coach Bestwick came. I know what it is now. I like the organization as I see it right now. There are some gray areas that are going to need to be worked out. For the immediate six months, I can see very little change, if any. However, come the first of the year, there may be some changes, just to continue fine-tuning what is there. Are you pleased with (JSC's affiliation with the Metro Conference and would you like to get back into the Atlantic Coast Conference? I think as the years go by, that every Division I school is going to be reviewing where they are in their affiliations, not only the conference schools, but also the in dependents, and weighing those options. As the years go by, we will continue to assess the situation and look at our options as to any conference. I believe that, five years from now, there are going to be a lot of changes in conference affiliations, and we will continue to view and look at our options in regard to it, and we will address that as we continue to grow. Is the ACC your top priority? Right now the Metro basketball tournament (which USC hosts in March) is my top priority. But there are a lot of folks that have approached me already about the ACC, and I will say that we will do a lot of talking in regard to that, and you have to, because when you have folks who are interested in this or in any other conference affiliation, we're going to sit down and listen, and then we'll review the options. But right now, I would have to say that we have some good folks representing the Metro Conference, but once again that's for basketball and diving and some of those other sports, and we want to make sure our football side of the house, our total package, we are happy with. Right now, we are evaluating that. ami .ROLINA PROGRAM UNION mm, , kl |yl I f-f ; , S M&*\ ejhs/sJ msm Bgl 3^ I ^ f00^ (>oc|(ftr fr y W" MWMCA* MOST COMA4W WNMTK FOOniMM TOW. ij^L"^ fSMMBBl I \ a