Rush Hixon returns to the school he loves after five seasons at Chipola College

Troy baseball cheers on its teammates from the dugout during its post season run in the College World Series against West Virginia. Troy Athletics photo

The last time Rush Hixon wore a Trojan jersey was on May 25, 2019. Now, he returns for the Boys of Troy, but as an assistant coach in what he describes as a dream job.

"You don't get a chance in your coaching career to always choose where you go,” Hixon said. “It’s a dream job for me to be able to come back.

“There are a lot of special people in this town. I grew up here and then played here for the last two years of my career, so it's a special chance for me to come back."

Hixon spent the last five years as an assistant coach with Chipola College. While it was hard to leave Marianna, Florida, Hixon felt it was time for a change.

"It was an easy decision, from the stance of the next step of coming here, but I was at Chipola the last few years; it’s a special place to me,” Hixon said. “It’s hard to leave there, but this is one of those opportunities that you couldn't pass up."

This will not be the first time Hixon returns to an alma mater to be a coach. Before Chipola, he served as head coach for Pike Liberal Arts for the 2021-22 season.

In his time with the Patriots, he won two AISA state titles with the high school, and he credits that success to his players. He would coach a future Trojan, Drew Nelson.

"Pike [Lib] was awesome to me,” Hixon said “I am an alumnus from Pike, so being able to go back there and coach was special to me.”

“I'll put it this way: I had some good players, and good players make coaches look good."

In his playing career, Hixon was a pitcher. In his two seasons with Troy, he made 50 appearances across 99.2 innings with an ERA of 4.06.

Hixon will be the pitching coach and feels his experience on the mound helps the players understand what he is trying to teach.

"There is a piece to if you have done it, you can explain it a little bit better, which is not always the case,” Hixon said. “People want to hear from people who have done stuff, and you can go out there and show them examples physically of how to do certain things.”

The connection he can build with players is what Hixon thinks is his greatest strength as a coach.

“Anybody can Google information, it is how to relay that information to players,” Hixon said. “I think I do a good job of connecting with people, and nobody really cares what you say unless they trust what you're saying.”

Joining a team fresh off a run to Omaha, Hixon hopes to help the Trojans succeed in the postseason.