King Dixon

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Dixon returned to Laurens, South Carolina. From 1981 to 1983, he was executive director of the Laurens Family YMCA. He then served as vice president and city executive of Laurens for the Palmetto Bank.^[9] In 1988, he returned to the University of South Carolina as associate vice president for alumni affairs.^[10]

On October 3, 1988, Dixon was named USC's interim director of athletics after Dick Bestwick resigned due to health issues.^[11] Dixon was the fourth person to hold the job that year (Bob Marcum was fired in March due to a drug-testing controversy and Johnny Gregory served as acting AD until Bestwick was hired in April). He was named South Carolina's permanent athletic director on October 27.^[12]

Shortly after taking the job, Dixon had to deal with the University of South Carolina steroid scandal, which came about after Sports Illustrated published a lengthy article written by former South Carolina football player Tommy Chaikin in collaboration with SI's Rick Telander alleging widespread use of steroids in the school's football program.^[13] Following the article, a federal grand jury indicted four University of South Carolina football coaches in connection with steroid distribution to players.^[14] Three of the coaches pleaded guilty in plea-bargain arrangements^[15] and the fourth was acquitted.^[16] That offseason, the football program was dealt another blow after head coach Joe Morrison died of a heart attack.^[17] Appalachian State head coach Sparky Woods was chosen to succeed Morrison.^[18] South Carolina started 1989 season 5–1–1 and ranked No. 25 in the country.^[19] However, in the eighth game against No. 20 NC State, senior star quarterback Todd Ellis, considered arguably the most impactful player in program history until then, suffered a college career-ending injury.^[20] The Gamecocks subsequently lost three of their last four games.^[19] They finished the following season with a record of 6–5. The Gamecocks were considered for the Independence Bowl both seasons, but Dixon declined the opportunity to play in the game, citing a conflict with the fall semester exams.^[21][22]

In 1990, South Carolina accepted an invitation to join the Southeastern Conference. They entered the conference in all sports but football on July 1, 1991 and played their first season of SEC football in 1992.^[23]

In 1991, Dixon fired men's basketball coach George Felton, who had a 87–62 record in his five seasons as head coach (including an appearance in the 1989 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament) and had just led South Carolina to its first 20-win season in eight years and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.^[24] South Carolina offered the job to Rutgers head coach and former Gamecocks assistant Bob Wenzel, but he turned down the offer.^[25] The school instead hired Steve Newton, who compiled a 20–35 record in his two seasons as head coach.^[26]

USC lost the final four games of the 1991 season and the first five of 1992, giving them the longest losing streak in NCAA Division I-A. Dixon was booed during a halftime ceremony in South Carolina's 49–7 loss Arkansas and after a loss to Alabama the following week, the team voted to request head coach Sparky Woods' resignation.^[27][28] On October 19, 1992, university president John Palms announced that Dixon would be reassigned following the appointment of a successor, stating that it was the "appropriate time to ... seek a different athletic director (because) ... of where we are in athletics".^[29] On November 30, Palms announced that University of Southern California athletic director Mike McGee would take over in January 1993.^[30]

After his dismissal, Dixon returned to Laurens, where he worked in the private sector and was involved in community service and philanthropy. On December 31, 2019, he was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to fill a vacant seat on the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. Dixon died from pancreatic cancer on July 6, 2020.^[8]