After two weeks without a coach, Pitt basketball is back on semi-solid ground as of Tuesday… After two weeks without a coach, Pitt basketball is back on semi-solid ground as of Tuesday afternoon.

Jamie Dixon has been officially named head coach of Panther basketball. He has served as associate head coach at Pitt for four years and received hearty endorsements from players, recruits and Ben Howland.

Dixon is known for his remarkable ability to judge talent, and several of Pitt’s promising new recruits said they might reconsider coming to Pitt if Dixon was not hired. Given his relationships with the players and the University, his talent for recruiting, and his history of working alongside the 2002 Big East coach of the year, Dixon is right for Pitt. It’s just surprising that he wasn’t hired sooner.

After Howland left for UCLA, sports commentators throughout the country threw around the names of several potential replacements. These included Pittsburgh natives John Calipari and Skip Prosser, who currently coach at Memphis and Wake Forest, respectively. Prosser became the prime candidate, but eventually decided to waive the option and remain at Wake Forest. With Prosser out of the picture, Pitt decided to take a chance on Dixon, who is unproven as a head coach.

While hiring a man with no prior experience as a head coach might be considered a gamble, Dixon comes with likable odds. Above all, hiring Dixon means the team will retain some sense of continuity. The program will be able to keep growing under the same leadership, without having to adapt to a new coaching staff. The players, while disappointed with losing Howland, can be optimistic about starting again under Dixon’s guidance. It’s also promising to know that the program can still count on the additions of 7-foot center Aaron Gray and 6-foot-9-inch center Chris Taft, both of whom wavered after hearing that Dixon might not be hired.

From working closely with Howland, Dixon knows what is needed to run the Panthers’ basketball program. With Pitt losing a minimal amount of momentum in the coaching change, Dixon’s best years are ahead of him, and he has the potential to achieve the same greatness that Tom Izzo brought to Michigan State after being promoted from assistant.

Pitt’s athletics department became a roller coaster this year, with a big drop two weeks ago. But now, with Dixon running the basketball team, Pitt athletics can return to its ascent.