Ken Dixon named new head men's and women's golf coach
Ken Dixon has been named the new head men’s and women’s golf coach, as announced by Director of Athletics Rick Baker.
MARS HILL, N.C. – Ken Dixon has been named the new head men's and women's golf coach, as announced by Director of Athletics Rick Baker.
"Ken will be a great addition to the Mars Hill family. He brings not only a lot experience with golf but being an alumnus of MHU, he loves the institution and has a great desire to take our programs to the next level," Baker stated.
Dixon is the owner and instructor at Practical Approach Golf Instruction and Entertainment, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has served as the head coach for the Ballantyne Country Club (BCC) PGA Jr. League team since 2020 and posted an undefeated season in 2022 en route to a league championship. In the fall of 2022, he won a conference championship with Community House Middle School with an undefeated season and this past spring, with Arborbrook Christian Academy, led the team to an undefeated campaign.
Dixon was a golf professional apprentice/instructor at Ballantyne Country Club from 2018-2022 where he managed operations, planned tournaments, and was the Director of Junior Instruction and PGA Jr. League Captain.
During this time, Dixon worked under the mentorship of former PGA Tour player, Randy Joyner. Dixon has since partnered with Joyner's instruction company Tour Techniques which currently provides coaching to eight PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour players.
"Returning to Mars Hill feels like my own personal homecoming!" Dixon said. "I feel blessed to serve this next step in my career at a place that is not only familiar but deeply significant to my professional and personal development as well."
A Mars Hill alum, Dixon graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in business administration. During his time on The Hill, Dixon was a member of the golf team and was named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2014 and 2016. He was also on the Mars Hill Honor Roll in 2016.
He furthered his education by graduating from UNC Charlotte in 2019 with a master's in history, specializing in Appalachian history, golf history, and history of municipal planning. He served as the Graduate History Association Treasurer in 2019 and went on to publish "From Tee to Green: Municipal Planning, Golf, and Mountain Progress."
Dixon added, "Thank you to everyone, particularly my family, for their encouragement in accepting this new position. Go Hill!"