Head Basketball Coach Jonathan Pixley has announced that he will retire at the end of the school year.
After stepping down from his coaching and teaching duties at Dunham in May 2021, Coach Pixley will serve as vice president of business development at Match Point, an innovative tech company that connects influencers and athletes with local businesses. In addition, he will continue to train professional basketball players and maintain his role as director of basketball at Team Sportsplex.
In announcing his decision to retire, Coach Pixley said, “While I will no longer be the head basketball coach or a member of the faculty at The Dunham School, I will continue to support the school as if I never left. My heart will always be here—this is home to me and my family, and nothing can change that. Simply put, I am a better man because of the opportunity to serve here for the past two decades.” His full remarks to the Dunham community are posted below.
Coach Pixley will leave as one of the most decorated coaches in school history, and his impact on our athletic program will be felt for years to come. In his 20-year tenure as head basketball coach, his teams have accumulated 437 victories, won eight district championships, played in five consecutive state championship games, and claimed the Division III State title three times in the past four years. He has been District Coach of the Year eight times and was recently named the 2021 2A State Coach of the Year.
While a national search for the next head basketball coach will be conducted, Athletic Director Neil Weiner has already begun the process of finding a leader who understands what The Dunham School stands for and how the basketball program reflects those ideals on a daily basis. According to Coach Weiner, "Our number one priority is to find a knowledgeable coach who understands the mission of the school and values the transformational impact that a coach can have on each player regardless of the player’s talent."
From Coach Jonathan Pixley to the Dunham Community:
“It has been my honor and privilege to lead the Dunham basketball program for the past 20 seasons. My time at this amazing school has been a life experience I could not have envisioned when I began working here. The relationships I have developed over my years here with faculty and staff members are ones I truly cherish and hope to continue into the future.
While stepping down as the head basketball coach is difficult for me because it has been such a huge part of my life, I know God is leading me into the next chapter of my time here on Earth. While competing for state championships has been the result that society pays closest attention to, that aspect pales in comparison to the relationships I have with my players and the experiences we have shared throughout the years. Continuing to learn how to deal with success and failure and then being able to teach that to young men has been an experience that I will be able to draw from in my future endeavors.
While the list of people I need to thank for helping me along this awesome journey is too extensive to do here, I would like to thank my wife and children for putting up with me, supporting me, and loving me throughout. I would also like to thank Steve Eagleton and the leadership team at Dunham for allowing and trusting me to lead the young men I've been fortunate enough to coach, as well as all of the students I've come in contact with as a teacher. Finally, a special thanks goes out to Chad Myers and TJ Honore for their dedication and loyalty to our program as assistant coaches. And while Coach Myers was technically my assistant coach for 18 seasons, his input was much greater than the normal individual carrying that title.
While I will no longer be the head basketball coach or a member of the faculty at The Dunham School, I will continue to support the school as if I never left. My heart will always be here—this is home to me and my family, and nothing can change that. Simply put, I am a better man because of the opportunity I was given to serve here for the past two decades.”
