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ATHENS, Ohio—Wide receivers coach Dwayne Dixon has been with Ohio since the summer of 2007. Since he arrived in Athens, Dixon has coached two wide receivers that were selected in the NFL Draft and numerous All-Mid-American Conference selections. 

Ohio's receivers have continued to be successful. In 2022, Ohio had the most wide receivers in the top 25 in the MAC (four). Sam Wiglusz ranked No. 17 in the MAC for overall scoring and was also placed on the First-Team All-MAC. 

Now entering his 17th season on Ohio's staff, Dixon is ready to lead the Bobcats through more battles.

What are you most excited for this season? 

Dixon: I'm excited for another opportunity for our guys to improve on where they were last year. Everybody last year had no imagination that we could be where we were at the finish. I want them to know who we are and then we've got to rise up. We have to continue to get better; it can't stay the same. I feel like guys are buying into our culture and I feel like our guys care for one another. They're hungry and they want to eat. You can't count on somebody else to feed you, you've got to go ahead and get it yourself. I feel that we have a bunch of guys that understand that. The group that I have, I really feel that I have several guys that are really on point with what they are supposed to go and they continue to rise and do it at a better level than the time before. They know what they're asked to do.  

How do you feel you've grown as a coach from the start of your time at Ohio to now? 

Dixon: I'm continually professionally trying to get better. I'm always listening for ways to be a better coach and have better relationships with the players that are out there doing the job. I can't do it for them, but I'm going to keep encouraging them to be their best as often as possible. They're not going to be perfect and when it's not perfect, how I approach whoever that may be matters. I have to approach guys in different ways. I may have to really get on some guys. I may have to pull them over, throw an arm around them and explain to them. The thing I've learned is: I want to treat the guys the way I want to be treated and I want them to treat other people that way. I'm trying to pass the torch in that regard as a coach and as a professional. I try to lead by example in that regard. 

What's something you want fans to know about you that you don't think they know? 

Dixon: There's one push-up that the military used to use that I'll use to motivate my players that I can do that if I had seven out of 10 guys, three of them maybe can do it. There's a certain military push up where your fingertips are on the ground, and your toes are on the ground. Your hands are touching and your feet are touching, and you've got to lift your body all the way up. I'm able to do that and my players have seen it.  

How did you come across that? 

Dixon: My high school coach, Warren Buck, showed it to me and I had to figure out how he got it done. One I figured out how he got it done, it's about putting everything on one accord. That showed us as a team that you've got to put everything in one focus to get it accomplished. If you separate parts of your body to make it happen, you can't do it. You've got to have everything in one sync to get that to work for you. 

What's a lesson you learned last season that you're going to apply to this one? 

Dixon: These guys love competing and they love playing. They love having the chance to see if they can get better and they never get satisfied with whatever the results were from last season. This is a new beginning. Nobody picked us to be in the championship game last year, so all of that information, that noise, we've got to find a way to block it out, and find a way to continue to shine. Each individual is being asked to check themselves every time they play. Did I compete? Did I do the best job I could have done the last play? If I did, then I can look myself in the mirror and say there is nothing else to say, I did it. If it wasn't then I've got work to do, and I think they all know that we have some work to do. We didn't quite finish the way we wanted to. Yes, we won a bowl game. We competed in a championship game. We can't let who's in the game or not in the game have a factor in it. We have to feel like we've got a chance to be successful no matter who we put out there. But, we didn't get over the hump last season. Our goal is to do that this year.

What are some of your goals for the season? 

Dixon: My goal is to have a number of our guys recognized at the end of the season for their accomplishments, but at the same time, I want our goals for our team to go as far as we can with as much success as a team as possible. I don't have to tell you what that is. Everybody knows what that is. I don't need to go into that. I ask every player when he's out there that I need his best effort. That's all I'm asking and if he can give me that, that's all I want. 

I appreciate the guys buying in. Coach (Tim) Albin's done a great job as head coach here for us. The reason I'm still here is because I know people like him have integrity and he's passing the torch. He cares about people, just like our Athletic Director (Julie Cromer) and our new president (Dr. Lori Stewart-Gonzalez) that has come in understands that as well. When we work together in that one accord, we can do this push-up together. 

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