Gator Men's Basketball Add Two To Support Staff
Wednesday, September 3, 2003 | Men's Basketball
University of Florida men's basketball coach Billy Donovan added two members to his support staff on Tuesday, as former Gator Major Parker and Stetson assistant coach Nate Dixon have been hired as assistants to the head coach.
"I'm very excited to be able to add two great people to our support staff," said Donovan. "Major Parker was one of the first players I recruited here at Florida and he's been a guy who has always been unselfish and worked very hard. Anytime you can have a former player who is familiar with the program return, it's always a great resource for our players.
"Nate Dixon is a great addition to our staff. He has a tremendous work ethic, has great energy and enthusiasm and is very familiar with the state of Florida, having spent two years at Stetson."
Parker, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, was a two-time captain for the Gators, including during their run to the Final Four in 2000. Parker arrived at Florida for the 1997-98 season and concluded his career in 2001. He scored 579 points for his career and is one of only seven players in school history to serve as captain twice (2000 and 2001).
Parker played in 125 games during his career, starting 50 times. The Gators reached the NCAA Tournament three times, won two SEC titles and two SEC Eastern Division titles and 89 total games over his four years in a Florida uniform.
Following his collegiate career, Parker helped the Dakota Lightning Boltz (Huron, S.D.) of the Midwestern Basketball Association to the league title this past February.
"I'm excited to have the opportunity to come back to such a family-oriented staff," said Parker. "I want to learn as much as I can and help this program out as much as I possibly can. I'm a Florida Gator through-and-through and it means the world to me to be back here to have a chance to work with this staff."
Dixon comes to Florida after spending the last two years as an assistant coach for Derek Waugh at Stetson University. Dixon worked primarily with post players and played a significant role in advance scouting.
Prior to his stint at Stetson, Dixon was the top assistant at Division II power Queens College in Charlotte, N.C. Dixon helped guide Queens to a 67-27 (.713) record during his three year stay, while Queens made appearances in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight and won two conference titles during that stretch.
Dixon also had coaching stints with Belmont Abbey College and Toms River (N.J.) High School.
A 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Dixon played for three years at Gardner-Webb University before completing his degree requirements at UNC-Wilmington. Dixon is a native of Laurel Springs, N.C.
"The opportunity to work with an established major program like the University of Florida is the opportunity of a lifetime," said Dixon. "This program has the chance to win the national title every year. I'm extremely honored to have the chance to work with the best basketball staff in the nation."
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