Army Coach Maggie Dixon Dies at 28

[northzax]

Army women's basketball coach Dixon dies

Associated Press
From http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=2400335">ESPN.com

Coach Maggie Dixon, who at age 28 led the Army women's basketball team to its first NCAA Tournament berth last month, died after suffering heart arrhythmia.

Dixon died Thursday night at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., U.S. Military Academy spokesman Lt. Col. Kent Cassella said. A memorial service was scheduled for Friday afternoon at West Point.

Dixon was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering an "arrhythmic episode to her heart" Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy, said her older brother, Pittsburgh men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=2400335">read more...


Jesus, this is awful, she was a wonderful person from all accounts, and a rising star in the coaching ranks (she and her brother Jamie at Pitt just became the first brother/sister duo to make the NCAAs in the same year, she just took an unheralded Army team to the Show for the first time)

makes you think, don't it? rest in peace, Coach.

[joeybee12]

1. I sort of saw this on ESPN at the gym...

...didn't know she was so young...this is terrible.

[northzax]

2. I just read a couple of weeks ago

a great profile on her (on espn, I think) which is why it caught my eye.

28, and a top flight athlete. I really gotta quit smoking.

[joeybee12]

7. Oh God yes--quit!

If that contributed to her death, then it really shows just how bad smoking is!!!

[northzax]

8. no evidence of that at all

she was a top flight athlete, I'm well, not. I seriously doubt she smoked or did drugs or anything, she just had a bad ticker and her number came up.

[joeybee12]

9. When I read your comment about stopping smoking,

I inferred that she had. Anyway, you still should stop!!!

[LisaM]

3. This is really really sad

I saw she was in critical condition last night but thought she would pull out of it.

[RamboLiberal]

4. What a shame - why do the good die young?

I'm not a basketball fan though when a hometown girl was a member of the UConn Huskies in previous seasons I got hooked watching some women's basketball.

Being from Pittsburgh I really feel for her brother Jamie Dixon and her family. What a shock for a young woman who was an athlete herself to be struck down by a heart condition!

My sympathies to her family and to her team at West Point. What a great coach she was this season! And what a shame for women's basketball to lose such a coach.

As a woman who saw the discrimination against women and women athletes I root for women's sports. It upsets me that so many women's teams are coached by men. What a shame to lose Maggie Dixon.

Rest in Peace Coach Dixon.

[bigwillq]

5. That's very sad.

I very badly for her family. :cry:

[erpowers]

6. Sad

It is a very sad story. It would have been great if should could have coached for a few more years. It is also sad that she was so young. Just sad.

[Doctor_J]

10. Marfans?

I think some of those really tall people have Marfans that's never mentioned.