The Legacy of Maggie Dixon

Book excerpt: Maggie Dixon, a 28-year-old women’s basketball coach at the United States Military Academy, led the West Point team to its first appearance in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Four weeks later, Maggie died suddenly, leaving behind a devastated family and a group of heartbroken players. Despite their tragic loss, friends, family, and team members took comfort in knowing that the values Maggie instilled in themselves and others would live on. In The Legacy of Maggie Dixon: A Leader on the Court and in Life, Jack Grubbs looks at the remarkable accomplishments of this young woman. Drawing on interviews with Maggie’s brother, friends, colleagues, and student players, Grubbs provides an engaging portrait of a woman who achieved the pinnacle in her sport through hard work, determination, and enthusiasm, attributes that continue to inspire those who knew her. In addition to chronicling the events surrounding her golden season at West Point, the book offers a study in the power of inspirational leadership that Maggie embodied. The Legacy of Maggie Dixon captures the wonderful impact she had on those around her in such a short amount of time.