Hixson is excited to move from assistant’s chair
RANDOLPH — Jim Hixson has toiled as an assistant basketball coach for Randolph High School’s boys program for over two decades and under the watchful tutelage of some solid mentors.
Now, Hixson takes over the Cardinals heading into the new campaign, however under less-thanidea circumstances albeit while being more than ready to lead the program.
He replaces Mark Anderson who had to retire to battle health issues.
“It’s just unfortunate that he fell ill, because otherwise we would love to have him here,” Hixson said of Anderson. “He’s staying very active – I see him riding his bike or walking his dog around town. I think he’s feeling good and a little bored right now.”
“It’s a little bittersweet right now – I wish Mark was still the head coach.”
Hixson arrived at Randolph in the summer of 1997 following a few years at North Loup-Scotia in Central Nebraska, now known as Central Valley under a new consolidation.
He graduated from Wayne State in 1990 and headed to his previous school for seven years where he was the head girls basketball coach for two years after assisting for four seasons and having aided the football program his entire time there.
Hixson moved to Randolph in 1997, attracted to the athletic facilities and also being closer to his parents.
“The school was a year old and they had two different gyms where the boys and girls could practice at the same time, which is really nice,” Hixson said.
He has been an assistant for the boys basketball program the whole time along with assisting the football program, including being the Cardinals defensive coordinator for most of the time.
Lyle Nannen was the head coach of the basketball team and Mark Anderson was the other assistant when Hixson arrived. That staff led Randolph to the 2002 Class C2 state title.
For a brief period, current athletic director Ted Stubbs, took over after Nannen and following that Anderson moved into the big chair until last spring.
“They all had different personalities and strengths that I could learn from,” Hixson said. “Mr. Nannen was very good with the kids and very well loved around town. Mr. Anderson is very good with the X’s and O’s, and a very good all-around guy. In my opinion, Mr. Anderson should be in the Nebraska Hall of Fame as a coach.”
“Mr. Stubbs was pretty fiery and passionate about the kids and the game. I learned that there is a place where you need to be laid back, but also firing up on occasion is a good thing, too.”
Hixson is ready, but acknowledges this season will be a challenge, as the Cardinals lose four starters from a year ago.
“I can’t think that losing Anderson won’t affect us in some way,” Hixson said. “It will be a bit of a learning curve for me to get back into the swing as a head coach.
“The transition was pretty easy because I know everyone, and I am familiar with the program and what we have been doing all these years. I also am familiar with the administration and the town so that helps that I am a known face and commodity.”
He admits that the administrative side of being a head coach has taken some time to get used to again.
“Having to do interviews and getting your rosters and schedules into many different websites,” he said. “I have started making a checklist on game day. These are the things that I didn’t have to worry about because all those great head coaches I followed worried about them before. I expect as time goes on those things will get a little easier for me.”
“To be honest with you, I am a little bit nervous about forgetting the book the first time we go on the road because I haven’t been having to worry about that for 20 years.”
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