Chad Hixon was a two-year member of the Emory men's basketball program, competing during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 campaigns and garnering Honorable Mention All-UAA acclaim in both of his seasons. He ranked as the team's top rebounder both years and placed third among conference leaders in that category in 2008-09. Career-wise, he held down the No. 8 position on Emory's all-time list in rebound average (6.2 rpg) and led the Eagles in that department in a total of 25 contests. On the offensive end of the floor, he registered double-figure scoring games on 26 occasions. His contributions helped ay the foundation that the program has enjoyed over the past 10 years.
Q: Occupation and where do you live?
CH: I’m an Academic Advisor III at Georgia State University and live in Loganville.
I also just started my own business, Student-Athlete Connection, LLC. We are focused on connecting HS student-athletes to resources and opportunities that will help make college more affordable. We want to help families make more informed choices when it comes to their children’s education.
Q: Can you provide an update on some of your experiences post-Emory to where you are now?
CH: After graduation in 2010, I took some time away from Basketball before returning to Emory as a Volunteer Assistant under Head Coach Jason Zimmerman from 2013-16. It was an amazing experience – I cannot put into words how much I learned during those three years. I think I learned more about basketball in those three years than in the previous 20+ years. After 2016, I transitioned to coaching high school and AAU Basketball and I’ve been that since. For the upcoming season, I’ll be an Assistant Coach at Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia.
Career wise, my initial plan after graduation was to work in the legal field before going to law school. After a few years working as a paralegal, I decided that the law was not for me. During my time at Emory, I was very fortunate to have supporters and advocates who helped me navigate through some difficult times and ultimately, graduate. I decided that I wanted to work in higher education and be that person for the next generation of students. I earned my Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership degree from Mercer University in December 2015. I started working at Georgia State University in September 2020 and the rest is history…
Q: What were the primary factors in you choosing Emory as your college?
CH: Emory University provided the best combination of academics and athletics. In addition to that, it was close to home, which allowed my family to attend games.
Q: Can you Reflect upon your time at Emory, both as a basketball player and as a student?
CH: Emory University is a very special place. I met some great people while there and made some lifelong friends and connections.
My journey to Emory is a pretty unique – I spent my first year in college at the University of West Georgia. From there, I transferred to Oxford College and then subsequently, transitioned to the main campus in Atlanta. I’m extremely lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity. A lot of people made sacrifices for me to attend Emory University (my mom and sisters in particular). Hindsight is always 20/20 – there are things I wish I had done differently. There are opportunities and experiences that I missed out on. But overall, Emory University and the Emory University Men’s Basketball program have been huge blessings for me and my family.
Q: Who were some influential people during your time at Emory?
CH: Dr. Carolyn Livingston
Coach Geno Morgan
Coach Gregory Goodwin
Coach Jason Zimmerman
Q: Coming in from Oxford, what type of impact were you looking to make on the program?
CH: At the time, my primary focus was to “fit-in” and connect with my teammates and coaches. Looking back 10+ years later, I’m not sure that was the best approach. If I could go back, I probably would have done some things differently. We struggled my first year at main campus, but we turned things around my senior year and the program hasn’t looked back since.
Q: What are some highlights that you remember while competing at Emory?
CH: As a player, the two that standout the most are beating Brandeis on my Senior day & sweeping the NYU/Brandeis road weekend my senior year.
During my time on the coaching staff, beating UW-Stevens Point to advance to the NCAA Elite 8.
Q: Your last year the team went 15-10 and 7-7 in UAA play (at the time the most wins in league play by an Emory team in 10 years) ... It was the first of 11 straight winning seasons for Emory -- could you see the program turning the corner that year?
CH: Absolutely. We finished that season 15-10, but we lost a couple close games. I think teams/programs must learn how to win. We started to do that in 2009-10 and my teammates took it to another level in subsequent years, culminating with Emory advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2013. It felt great to close out my career with a winning record. The program has really taken off since then. Coach Zimmerman has done an amazing job – it’s incredible to see how much progress Emory Men’s Basketball has made in the last 10 years.
Q: Do you still play basketball in any leagues or recreationally?
CH: I played recreationally up until about 2-3 years ago. Now, all my “on-court” time is devoted exclusively to coaching and the occasional training session.
Q: How you are surviving the pandemic and how has it affected you?
CH: I’ve been working from home since the middle of March. I’m very blessed and thankful to still have a job – I do not take it for granted. Honestly, I’m a natural homebody so I’m accustomed to spending most of my time at home. From that standpoint, it hasn’t had that big of an impact. The biggest thing for me was that I was not able to Coach AAU Basketball this past season (our program shut things down back in March due to COVID-19).
Q: Any interests/hobbies or things you do to relax when away from work?
CH: Reading
Tweeting
Debating politics
Going to the movies
Coaching Basketball
Helping kids find next level opportunities
Q: Any former teammates that you are in contact with?
CH: From the guys I played with, I probably talk to Corey Spraggins and Daniel Curtin the most. I communicate more with the guys who played while I was on staff, such as Evan Coleman, Stephen Simmons, Michael Florin, Gebereal Baitey, and a few others.
Q: You still enjoy keeping up with the fortunes of the team -- you come to many home games
CH: Yes, I make a conscious effort to attend as many games as possible every year. My time at Emory was very special and had a tremendously positive impact on my life. I am thankful to Coach Zimmerman for the opportunity and will always be a supporter of not only the Emory Men’s Basketball program, but all the athletics programs and the university.
Q: Is there anything that you take from being a student-athlete into your profession?
CH: There are so many lessons that my experience as a student-athlete taught me that assist me in work as an academic advisor as well as with coaching. Learning to be part of a team is a critical life lesson – everyone has a role to play and specific responsibilities associated with that role. The only way the team will reach its full potential is if everyone buys into their role and performs at maximum capacity. I think this applies to most businesses and organizations as well. The most successful organizations have buy-in from their staff, which allows them to operate at optimum efficiency. In addition to that, time management, prioritizing tasks, and last, but certainly not least…learning to listen and focus on “WHAT” my coach or boss is saying vs. focusing on “HOW” he/she says it.
Q: Any advice you would give Emory students/future grads?
CH: Cherish the experience of being a student-athlete at Emory University. Take advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you. Be sure to take time to enjoy each moment and the people around you. Relationships are extremely valuable. I didn’t truly appreciate this until a few years after I graduated. My advice to all Emory student-athletes is to invest in building relationships with your teammates, classmates, coaches, professors, and the staff at Emory.
Chad Hixon works as an Academic Advisor at Georgia State and lives in nearby Loganville.