No, Texas basketball should not consider hiring Jamie Dixon

Many college hoops media outlets have released the top candidates they feel could be right to take the head coaching job with the Texas basketball program to replace the recently-fired Chris Beard. Some of the common names mentioned as possible candidates for the Texas job opening are the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman, Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats, and Brooklyn Nets assistant Royal Ivey.

But one name that popped up among the possible candidates for the head coaching job from the Dallas Morning News on Jan. 5 is one that doesn’t appeal to me quite as much. The Dallas Morning News pitched the longtime TCU Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon as a possible candidate to watch for the Longhorns.

Here’s what this piece from the Dallas Morning News had to say on Texas potentially considering Dixon as a head coaching candidate to replace Beard.

Texas basketball and TCU HC Jamie Dixon isn’t a good fit

"Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has already hired Dixon once bringing him home to his alma mater in 2016 from Pitt. Dixon struggled from 2019-21 but took TCU to the second round this past season and nearly upset Arizona. If he takes TCU on a long NCAA run, he could move up Texas’ list."

Dixon was one of the last coaching hires that CDC made during his time as TCU’s athletic director. He hired Dixon away from the Pitt Panthers ahead of the 2016-17 season.

While I get the potential connection there between Texas athletic director Chris del Conte and Dixon from their time at TCU together, I don’t think the Longhorns present an ideal fit for the Frogs bench boss.

Dixon would likely bring much of the same in terms of postseason results to the table that Shaka Smart did during his time as Texas’ head coach. In his six full seasons coaching the Horned Frogs, Dixon has made the Big Dance just twice. And while he did lead the Frogs to the Round of 32 last year, that is the furthest that he’s gone with the program in a half-dozen tries.

All told, I think that del Conte and the Longhorns are going to try for more of a big splash head coaching hire than Dixon. Texas is going to want a more prominent track record from a coach in terms of past results on the court and on the recruiting trail than what Dixon has produced at TCU (he’s registered a record in Big 12 play of just 44-66 with the program).

Texas is currently sporting a record of 12-2 (1-1 Big 12) following a defensive meltdown of a loss to the Kansas State Wildcats at home at the Moody Center on Jan. 3 by the final score of 116-103. Next up for acting head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns this season is a meeting at home with the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Jan. 7.