Head Coach
Dixie Jeffers
ph: (614) 236-6551
djeffers@capital.edu
Only one active college women's basketball coach is in the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame ... Capital University's Dixie Jeffers.
Since taking over as head coach at Capital beginning with the 1986-1987 season, Jeffers and her teams have been a model of excellence and consistency on and off the court. One of the nation's all-time winningest coaches, she has won an astounding 80-percent of the games and is sixth coach in NCAA Division III history all-time with over 500 victories. Jeffers, who spent three seasons as the coach at Rio Grande University before coming to Capital, has won over 550 career games. In honor of her career achievements, Jeffers has been inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
With Jeffers at the helm, Capital University women's basketball has become one of the nation's best and most respected basketball programs. From 1990-2000, no NCAA Division III women's basketball team had a higher winning percentage. Also during that span, Jeffers led Capital to the Final Four an incredible four times in five years. The Crusaders finished second in 1993, became the first Division III school to win back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995 and finished third in 1997. With all this success, Jeffers had the distinction of being the first Division III coach to win National Coach of the Year honors in successive years (1994 and 1995).
Capital has won 20 or more games in 17 seasons and twice Crusaders crossed the 30-win plateau. Through Jeffers' tenure, Capital has won the Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season title nine times. The Crusaders also have won the OAC postseason tournament nine times, including a run of six in a row from 1992-1997 with 14 NCAA Tournament appearances.
"Players constantly drive me to be successful and continue to achieve," stated Jeffers. "I have and always will love the game and will continually have the energy to do the job."
Anybody who comes in contact with Jeffers knows that energy is something the coach will never lack on or off the court. The energy Jeffers places in successful teams on the court is equally translated to her players' academic pursuits. "The kids we recruit have to understand that academics is the highest priority," says Jeffers. They have to bring the enthusiasm to the classroom that they bring to the floor. That is a Capital student-athlete."
As impressive as Jeffers' numbers are on the bench, her off-the-court accomplishments are equally impressive. For 17-straight seasons a Crusader has been named Academic All-OAC and she has coached numerous Academic All-Americans, NCAA and NACDA post-graduate scholarship recipients. In 1997 Crusader Carrie Ferguson was honored nationally as an NCAA Elite VIII selection. Jeffers and her teams also have been active in the community by giving free basketball clinics, helping the homeless and visiting Children's Hospital. Jeffers has also served on the board of directors for the Special Wish Foundation.
Ironically enough, Jeffers is from a small Ohio town called Mount Victory and even if it appears she has climbed the coaching mountain, she wants to continue to ascend. "Once you have experienced a national championship, you never lose that hunger to do it again, for yourself, your current players, and the University," stated Jeffers. "Other than getting married and having my children, it is one of the top experiences of my life, and I want my current players to have that experience for themselves."
Aside from her coaching duties, Jeffers serves as associate athletic director. She and her husband John live in Canal Winchester with their daughter Cara and son Jansen.
The Dixie Jeffers File
at University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
1983-84 - 15-11
1984-85 - 20-3
1985-86 - 17-7
Totals - 52-21 (.712)
at Capital University
1986-87 - 21-5 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament Bid
1987-88 - 17-8
1988-89 - 12-12
1989-90 - 20-8
1990-91 - 24-3 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Coach of the Year, NCAA Tournament Bid
1991-92 - 29-2 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, OAC Coach of the Year, NCAA Tournament Bid
1992-93 - 28-4 - OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Second Place
1993-94 - 30-1 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Division III National Champions, National Coach of the Year
1994-95 - 33-0 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Division III National Champions, National Coach of the Year
1995-96 - 23-5 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament Bid
1996-97 - 29-4 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Third Place
1997-98 - 20-5
1998-99 - 24-5 - NCAA Tournament Bid
1999-00 - 23-5 - NCAA Tournament Bid
2000-01 - 19-5
2001-02 - 19-7
2002-03 - 9-15
2003-04 - 20-7 - OAC Regular Season Champions
2004-05 - 20-6
2005-06 - 26-4 - OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament Bid
2006-07 - 20-7
2007-08 - 17-10
2008-09 - 22-6 - OAC Regular Season Champions, OAC Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament Bid
Totals - 505-133 - Combined - 557-155 - 26 seasons
Assistant Coach
Jason Wright
Jason Wright has been an assistant coach at Capital since the 2000-2001 season.
A 1999 Capital graduate, as a student he helped out Coach Jeffers as a student-assistant coach. In his current role, he works with Crusader guards while aiding with a variety of administrative tasks.
Wright is also a teacher in the Bloom Carroll school district.